Gothic Opera
by Dragonslayer9000
Summary: Definitely not what you're thinking when you think Star Wars. Dark Lords, Jedi’s, aliens, gothic mercenaries, students, soldiers, warlocks, witches, ogres, vampires and pirates will fill these pages. Not based on the saga.ENJOY!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

**CHAPTER ONE **

**JEDI ACADEMY**

**October 9, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1520 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight Dragon**

"Begin!" Master Yuna Sandra yelled. With that, Relena and I turned around and activated our practice lightsabers and began yet another duel. We had dueled before on many occasions, testing each others knowledge of light saber combat. I normally use two lightsabers to duel, yet Relena only uses one, it would be much unfair if I used both of them. Besides, I'm always looking for a challenge, and Relena was the best challenge in single handed lightsaber dueling for Padawan's on all of Dantooine. She was very good, I respected her and had competed against her ever since I can remember. My good friend was the only Padawan to ever give me a challenge.

She swung a fast left, would have nearly took my head off had I not ducked. Swinging a swift right I simply took a step back and avoided the swing. She spun and tried to hit me in the back which I blocked by putting my lightsaber behind my head. She then abruptly charged forward lightsaber guiding in front of her; simply stepping to the right avoided that one too. "I'm not playing this game again."

I fixed a faint smile, "I have no idea what you're talking about." I lied.

"The one where you let me attack until I get tired, then you attack. It's getting old Dragon."

"Oh come on, I was just having a bit of fun…" without finishing my sentence I swung a hard right at her.

Blocking it, she smiled, "that's more like it."

I swung left then bent down trying to take out her legs. Cart wheeling she avoided the strike. Turned around she attacked me blindly swinging a swift right with the lightsaber followed with a hard kick to the leg. I was able to block the lightsaber, yet I didn't anticipate the kick, knocked down on my back I knew I had a good fight ahead of me. "Oh, you want to play like that?" As she came to strike again, I swung on my backside and kicked her in the back and rolled up. Then a fierce series of strikes from the both of us prevailed, each blocking the others attack, there was no room to dodge. Seeing an opening, I rolled under her legs and elbowed her back. Lurching forward she swung all her might behind her, I barely blocked the attack due to the power behind it.

"Dodge this!" with her left hand she lifted up a nearby plant and threw it towards me, I easily destroyed it with my lightsaber. But the number one mistake a young Padawan makes according to my master was "focus." Focusing too much on one thing, and not being aware of your surroundings. Well I certainly was guilty, as I destroyed the plant, I was unaware of the oncoming trashcan that hit me in the head so hard I dropped my lightsaber to the ground.

"Ooh, he didn't see that one coming." I could hear Master Vrook saying.

On my back once again, I opened my eyes to a flying Relena coming down for the kill with her lightsaber. I rolled to my left barely dodging the attack, she laughed. _Sometimes she could be really scary in battle if she got into it enough_ On my back I swung my left foot, knocking her legs out, she dropped her lightsaber and she too was on the ground. I immediately rolled over and put her in a head lock, to immobilize her so I could grab my lightsaber, she punched me in the face, breaking the hold.

We both stood up, looked to our lightsabers and simultaneously summoned them to our hands. Looking at her face I saw that her lip was bloodied from the aggression I put her jaw into the headlock. I also could feel the right side of my face aching from where she had punched me, no doubt would I have a bruise there tomorrow. We both looked to see Master Sandra walk up.

"Ok you two, I think that's enough for today…how about give it a rest."

"NO!" we both yelled at her.

Raising her eyebrows and walking off she said, "Sorry, never mind."

Relena looked seriously at me, touching her lip she said, "You busted my lip."

"Well you threw a trash can at me."

"Well you put me in a head lock."

"And you punched me in the face, what's your point?"

"None really, I'm just complaining." With her finger she through a rock at me…wait a minute this seems familiar. Sensing my surroundings, I also felt yet another plant, and a piece of wood flying at me. _Hmm…three items at once, not bad_ I fried the rock with the beam of my lightsaber, jumped over the plant and sliced two pieces of wood out of one.

"Hmm, your boys a fast learner." I could hear Master Vrook tell Master Sandra.

"That he is." She told him.

After seeing what she had done, I had something up my sleeve. Looking like I scratched my ear I beckoned an object, using the force on her. I ran at her in full sprint, lightsaber raised in preparation to attack, she wisely readied herself. Five feet from her she was caught surprised by a flying piece of wood connecting with her back. She lurched back from the pain, arms raised. Using the force I launched myself over her head, in the process reaching around the beam of her lightsaber and grabbing the handgrip of her own sword _stealing it from her_ with my left hand, landing behind her, I crouched on my knees and swung the lightsaber in my left hand through her side. The lightsaber glowed red as it passed through her, indicating a hit on a body. I had won the duel using her own practice lightsaber.

"Whoa! That was a good move." Master Vrook said.

Panting and exhausted I helped Relena up, she was knocked on the ground still winded from the piece of wood. "Nice move…when…didn't see you summon…wood." She panted.

"When I…scratched…ear." I huffed out, exhausted as well. We both walked to the slab of rock by Master Vrook, and Master Sandra.

"That was very good you two, I think the best duel I've seen from you both." Master Sandra told us.

"Excellent use of the force, yet you two still have much to learn."

"Yes Master Vrook," we acknowledged.

"But always remember Relena, your attacks and tactics can always be used against you. Be aware of the knowledge of the force…although I doubt there will be many crazy Padawan's like Dragon out there in the galaxy." He then shifted his attention to me. "I can't believe you jumped over an active lightsaber, what if that was a real lightsaber, not a practice one, and she had merely jumped up at the last second…hmm, no wonder why your Master Sandra's Padawan, did you teach him that?"

Rolling her eyes, "Of course not, me?" Master Sandra was always using the daring side of the force, the fine line between life and death. She found it exhilarating. "Dragon you need to wash up," holding her nose. "You stink."

I stared at Relena, "hmm, wonder why?" she smiled.

"We shall see you and your Padawan at the Great Hall tonight?"

"Well of course." Master Sandra told him, tonight was the traditional Wednesday dinner. Where all students and Masters at the academy not currently on a mission, discussed current situations in the galaxy and ate dinner.

"Later Dragon," Relena waved off, accompanied by Master Vrook to her dorm, where she too would wash up.

"See you tonight Relena." I told her waving her off.

A few moments passed and then my Master spoke. "You were taking it easy on her, the way today that you dueled with her."

"How I duel with her. I put her in a head lock, and through a piece of wood in her back." I protested.

"Is that what you call an actual fight?"

"Fights aren't always cut and dry Master, you know this better than the most. Remember that mission last month where you and I had to run through vats and destroy enemies with the will of the force and a combination of slush and mud?"

"Indeed, simple how you think so much about combat. You do have a natural love for its different art forms, fortunately that passion hasn't gone towards your training partner yet."

Not only through battle, I could see why my Master would know about love. Many men had probably fallen for her beauty on first sight. Although, the age of thirty-six, Master Sandra was quiet a sight for sore eyes. The only thing that gave away her age were thin, hardly noticeable wrinkles beneath her green eyes. Her thin Twi'lek body only contemplated her soft blue skin. She was nearly like a human female, except her skin is a different color, she has no hair, altered ears, and she has long Lekku head-tails that hang to her torso. _Ok so maybe not like a human female, but you get the point._

Without argument I held onto the words of my Jedi Master. She favors risk and action, very bold, and headstrong, but none-the-less, very wise. She is by far the most laid back Jedi Master on all of Dantooine, maybe because she acts as restless as she did in her youth. She was the youngest Jedi Master ever, receiving the title at the tender age of twenty-two. After being taught by Master Benoit for many years, I was originally given off to Master Nightingale…_she left on a mission and never returned. _Following that, I was appointed to be Master Sandra's Padawan, by Master Sandra herself. I'm her first and only Padawan, and I'm very proud to be. She's told me in the many years I've been her Padawan, that I know more about her than anyone else. In turn she knows more about me than anyone else. I can trust her with any secret, and she knows I can be trusted with any secret too.

Master Sandra and I are connected with an incredible bond. Sometimes we have the same dreams, and at times can tell what the other ones thinking. In a way it's really cool and sort of scary. Yet we have a strong connection, she is very cloudy about her training as a Padawan. She refuses to tell me about certain things, I know something horrible must have happened in her training yet she refuses to tell me. It's also odd, Master Sandra knows several dark side powers: such as, she can choke people with her mind, and I've also seen her pulsating electricity from her fingers on an occasion or two, amongst other things.

"You know you cut that duel close, next time jump higher above your opponent so that it's more difficult for them to slice you in half by merely jumping." She became curious when I didn't answer. "What are you day dreaming about?" Master Sandra asked.

"Oh I was just thinking about those Dark force powers of yours."

"Who says their Dark?"

"Then if their not Dark powers, why don't you show me how to use them?"

"I would never show you how to use those powers, their Dark you know?" she laughed out. Jesting she patted me on the back, "don't be so anxious to learn anything and everything about the force so soon, you're only nineteen after all.

Rolling my eyes, I continued walking. She's always this weird when I talk about those powers. "So what do you think the meeting's about tonight."

"Maybe seeing how the entire Republic Senate just got assassinated, it might be just a 'little' something about that." She told me sarcastically yet shrewdly.

"Oh really, couldn't have guessed that one."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Well we had that huge discussion last week about it."

"Well it's a huge deal. But besides that I don't know, I just know afterwards you and I have to talk with the Jedi Council."

"The Jedi Council, what's this about?"

"I have no idea. Just look your best." Both of our attentions were then drawn to a yelling.

"BLOCK! BLOCK! How many times have I told you to block?" That sounded definitely like the yelling of Master Xack. Probably instructing his Padawan, and indeed he was, far off on the droid practice floor was Master Xack's Padawan, William O'Conner. William was two years younger than I, but very good with a lightsaber at his age. He was definitely one of the most skilled Padawan's on all of Dantooine. Yet still had a bit of catching up to do, to compete with either myself or Relena.

William was battling four, level seventeen battle droid's. As he rolled and destroyed one of the droids with a vertical jumping slash of his saber, another droid shot him with a stun blast to the side. A stun blast didn't hurt much, yet left a good welt on the skin for a day or two.

"A Jedi must always be defensive and offensive. Not just offensive, boy will you ever learn?"

"I…am trying…Master…" he uneasily said back, jumping behind the center robot and slashing him in half. Hearing a blaster shot, William swung his lightsaber behind him and deflected the blaster bolt back at the shooting droid, taking out his head. Using his hand to direct the force, he threw the two remaining droids against each other. As the droids lie on the ground, he brought his lightsaber down powerfully on each one, shattering the droids in half. William looked at his master and gave a confused look, "What?"

Well William knew why his master was giving him a confused look, when William got a wake up call from the droid with no head. The large droid drilled the back of William's head with a ferocious metal punch. William fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Ha! Ha!" Master Xack laughed out, rubbing his shiny brown balled head. He flicked his finger towards the droid and shut it off. He felt his Padawan's pulse.

"Is William alright?" Master Sandra asked him.

"Oh the kid's fine. He just got banged up a little, nothing too much a fine lad like him can't handle." He then looked at me, surveying me he said. "Hmm, looks like you've been banged up a bit too, who won?"

I shrugged my shoulders, it was almost funny how every one knew who I competed against everyday. My master answered before I got a chance to.

"Well Dragon won, but Relena…she sure did give him a run for his money."

"Yes, I see, well that Relena sure is something else. Dangerously good Jedi, I think that you are the only fool who can stand up to her, or maybe she's the only fool who can stand up to you, either way, you are both too good for your age." Master Xack said.

"Well Will's pretty good too you know." I told Master Xack.

"Yeah, the boy ain't bad. Much better than I was at his age…" he laughed, "of course I'd never tell him that, hell…it would go to his head. He might go off thinking he's as good as you."

"You spoil my Padawan too much, no need to fill his head with such thoughts of greatness." Master Sandra told him.

"No need to, he already knows it, don't you lad?" He sniffed the air, "Great, but sure is stinky. What the hell kid, you know what a shower is. What you been teaching this boy Yuna?"

"It's a long story." Master Sandra told him. "Hey you tend to your Padawan, I'll tend to mine. See you tonight, and hopefully your Padawan too."

We walked off, and exited the Courtyard where we had spent most of the day. We talked as we walked through the Jedi enclave, she constantly lectured me on 'focus,' and how important it was. How if you weren't focused you were as good as dead in combat. "Blah, blah, blah you're acting old, stop lecturing me."

"Hey I can't always be cool, I have to act like your Master sometimes you know. You're not as good as you think you are. And even if that means acting old, besides my lectures might help you someday.."

"For what? Like boring my enemies to death?" I ridiculed.

"Very funny." As we reached near my dorm, she departed, simply telling me, "Fix your braid, tighten it up or something, it's looking untidy. Remember twenty-hundred, be in the Great hall."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She left to her dorm, and I entered mine.

**October 9, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1710 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight Relena Selene**

_Damn, did Dragon have to throw that piece of wood at my back? Still hurt. _After putting on the three adhesive crystal stars below my right eye, _I've got a 'thing' for stars, _I finished drying off my long brown hair which was still a little bit wet. Looking in the mirror I saw that my lip had stopped bleeding, there was just a scratch there now. My elbow and knees had been a little scraped up too, but it's all fair in love and war. Sitting on my bed I put on my clothes: tunic, and robe. Seeing how my hair was a mess I looked in the mirror and began braiding it, putting on the appropriate beads I was required to wear. It took me several minutes, due to the sheer number of beads. Beads were an Apprentices way of showing how many different techniques, and skills they have learned. Only one Padawan had more than I_, but Dragon only had four or five more._ He's never boasted about the amount of beads he has, nor have I. We were both the best, and we knew it, that was enough for us.

Bending down to put on my tall travel boots, I felt the pain in my back. Dragon did get me pretty good with that piece of wood, but I guess I deserved it. _I did throw a garbage can at his head after all._ We never got mad at each other when we dueled, we knew what ever crazy thing we did, we'd get the other back the next day. So it was all good, if you ask us. I looked at the clock, still a half hour before bore time. That's what I called these stupid meetings, same old, same old. _The Republic is in trouble, the Sith are numerous, we need to train very hard. _Been there, done that, well Dragon and I agreed, the Sith can come to this Academy any time, any day, we'd show them what were made of. Picking up my lightsaber I left the dorm. I had designed my lightsaber to look like Master Vrook's, in a show of respect.

I hate using those dinky practice sabers, their so weak and hard to balance. Now my custom lightsaber is much more powerful, and comfortable. It's been fitted with two crystals that give it added damage and attack power. Plus I made it, with a very comfortable handgrip. Plus a violet crystal to make my saber purple, my favorite color.

With time to spare I walked to Dragon's dorm, we would do the usual, talk and complain before bore time. Daily when either of us was done practicing with our Masters we'd hang out together. Seeing our friendship with each other, our Masters would usually schedule practice sessions together.

Every month the Council would schedule a type of competition for Padawan's to participate in, encouraging cooperation and competition. Sometimes it's a single's dueling event. Sometimes it's a two on two event, sometimes it's even a three on three event. On the two on two events, it's always been Dragon and I, and no one could touch us. On the three on three events, we usually team with William O'Conner, and we've never lost. Another event was coming up at the end of the week, a three on three. Dragon and I have already agreed to team with William.

Now the Padawan's aren't the only ones to have fun, twice a year the Masters will get together and have their own competition. They only have singles and doubles, people are usually unsure to participate in singles, because they know always for the final duel is Master Benoit. No ones been able to beat him yet, if his skill with a light saber isn't enough, he is built extremely well. Despite wearing a robe you can easily see his bulging muscles. Just watching him in dueling alone can make you intimidated. What's even scarier is that he's not a real tall man at all, Dragon's height. Probably 5' 10" I'd say, lots of men and even some women are taller than him. Though in training, he teaches us to be calm with the force, he duel's very aggressively.

I get to Dragon's dorm and don't even bother to knock, obviously sensing my presence he open's the door from across the room with the force. As usual, Dragon wasn't ready, he had on only his pants and high travel boots.

"I'll be ready in a minute." He said looking in the mirror putting on his beads.

"Well I would hope so."

"How's your lip?"

"Fine, but it's my back that's going to ache a little bit."

"Oh give me a break I didn't even hit you that hard."

I could sense the faint bit of amusement in his words, "What you think it's funny? I wouldn't be talking Mr. Black eye."

He turned to look at me, "Oh Shut up."

"Hey look at it this way, you do smell better." I didn't even see a reaction in his face, nor sense one. "What's wrong."

"Oh nothing, it's just Sandra told me that after the meeting we have to go talk to the Jedi Council. Just a little curious I guess."

"Hmm…" I agreed, picking up his red lightsaber. "You know everyone has a silver or gold lightsaber, but nooo, you just have to have a red lightsaber. And the weird way your beam comes out…" In fact Dragon had a very unique lightsaber, a normal blade emitter was at the top of the saber, so that it came straight out in an instant. Yet Dragon's blade emitter was unattached from the top and bolted to the top side of the lightsaber. So that when the activator was pressed, the bolt turned clockwise making the blade come up in an arch. When the beam was finished with it's motion, it looked just like a normal lightsaber with the blade emitter on top. The beam was vice versa when coming back down. Quite deadly to someone who didn't have knowledge of how to properly operate it.

"Hey it's not my fault, blame Sandra, it's modeled after hers."

I activated his saber, making sure the blade emitter wasn't facing me. "You switched the crystal to make the beam color green?"

"Yeah, white was just getting boring." Dragon said, putting on the last of his beads.

"Same color with your other lightsaber?" I asked looking for his second identical lightsaber.

"Well yeah, you think I'm going to be a dork like those Jedi Guardians?" Dragon laughed.

In fact the Jedi Guardian Padawan's were odd, they were always competing with the Jedi Strike Team Padawan's. Thinking they were just as big and bad as us. On one such occasion, Guardian Padawan Goland had been watching Dragon and I practicing on some battle droids _against droids we could use our actual lightsabers, not the crappy practice ones_ Seeing Dragon using two lightsabers in practice he came up and said, 'look I have two lightsabers too,' in fact it was two lightsabers. One of his own, and one of his friends: two different styles, two different colors, _Pink and brown, a horrible mix of colors_. He tried to show off against the same level battle droids Dragon and I had just destroyed. Oh, did he fail horribly. Not realizing that two blades were harder to control and the power of the attack is far less than a single handed lightsaber. After hitting a droid four times really hard he somehow lost grip on his first lightsaber and dropped it, with his remaining lightsaber he was only shading off the outer plating of the droid he was working on, _wasting time obviously_ the droids surrounding him moved in and knocked him unconscious.

Besides Master Sandra and Dragon, no one really uses two lightsabers. Their much harder to control, easier to lose, and attacks are less in power. Yet in the correct hands, the attacks are extremely fast and the defense is outstanding.

Dragon never really cared about putting on a tunic, he said they were uncomfortable. Besides tunics were not required by the order, there was really no real dress code, as a Padawan, you only really had to wear an Apprentice braid. I watched as Dragon put on a black vest, he laced it up. Leaving his arms and much of his skin and collar bone exposed. Dragon nearly looked like a Sith with the black vest, black pants, and black boots. Plus it didn't help much with the tattoos on his arms. On the right arm is a blue dragon, on his left arm is a red dragon, both covering the outside of the arm from the elbow up to the beginning of the neck. Not to mention the usual black cut off gloves he wears to his elbows while dueling. No need for them tonight, I think. Had Dragon not been a Jedi, he could easily pass for a Sith, in both look and skill. "Hey where's your other lightsaber?"

"Like I know…" with that, Dragon drew out his hand and summoned the saber to his hand. Wherever the lightsaber was, it would come to his hand. Hearing a rustling from under an undergarment the lightsaber flew to his hand.

"Ewww, it was under that?"

"I guess so," he shrugged, not caring where it had come from. He then summoned the lightsaber I had been examining to his other hand. He placed each lightsaber on either side of his belt, hearing a "click," showing they were attached to his saber holders. He looked in the mirror once again fixing his trimmed goatee, and brown hair with blonde highlights, spiking it up. He didn't put any highlights in his hair, it was just naturally like that.

"Your hair's fine, come on." I egged him.

"Just give me a minute."

"You said that like five minutes ago," I harassed him.

"Eh.." He grunted taking out a razor and shaving off some hair around his goatee. Finishing he looked at me, he turned around. "How's my tail?"

"Your pony tails fine Dragon…"

"Well how about…"

"You look fine, you're good."

"Well I know I'm fine, stop embarrassing me." He smirked.

I just merely rolled my eyes, he did this sometimes. Well I shouldn't talk, I'm no better. We don't do it to anyone else, just one another. Childish banter that we've done since we started training together as kids.

Walking out, he caught his black robe in his hand and put it on. He never bothered tying it up, just wore it open so his vest and skin showed. Most Jedi Masters would object to Dragon's dressing style, stating it's 'not traditional.' Yet Master Sandra really didn't care, she was really cool about stuff like that. She always said, 'I don't care as long as it doesn't hinder performance or add a distraction.' It did neither for Dragon.

On our way to the Great Hall, we passed by to see William walking out of his door. He was clutching the back of his head, and moving sluggishly.

"Hey Will," Dragon greeted.

"Yo…" He sluggishly said back.

"What happened to your head?" I asked still seeing him clutch the back of it.

"Funny…I can't remember." He told us.

"He…can't…remember," Dragon laughed slapping his knee.

"What so funny about that? I can't remember," William paused to think, "wait a minute, did you see what happened?"

"Yeah, you had just finished fighting the droids, but you left one."

"No I didn't," he protested.

"Yeah, the one with the head blasted off from his own blaster. Remember?"

"Yes…"

"Well when you looked at Master Xack, he came behind you and punched you in the back of the head. Knocking you out," Dragon smiled.

"Are you serious? A headless droid knocked me out? Dammit! That's cheating!"

We continued our walk to the Great Hall, finally entering inside the open corridor. The Great Hall was basically just that, a Great hall. With the exception of large cushions to sit on, lining up and down the enormous open space. Normally you could sit wherever you want, but usually classes sat by classes. Guardian's sat with Guardians, Consulars sat with Consulars, Sentinels sat with Sentinels, and Strike Team members sat with Strike Team members.

A Jedi Guardian trains for battle and physical prowess with little emphasis on negotiation. A Jedi Consular seeks to master the force they would rather negotiate than fight, very good with persuasion. A Jedi Sentinel try's to be balanced between the two, try's to negotiate but is ready to fight if they have to. Now a Jedi Strike Team Member is centered on absolute power, trained in every type of battle and strategic maneuver. They're sent in when there is absolutely no peaceful way to resolve a problem, and battle is imminent. The most destructive, and powerful of the Jedi.

The Jedi Strike Team is fairly new, only a decade old. Master Benoit says that the Strike Team is an experiment, that is daily testing the will of the force. So that century's from now, we will know the true extremities of the force.

As we walked through the row of cushions to our normal sitting place, the Padawan Goland of the Guardians began to talk. "Ooh, look it's the Strike Team Padawan's, be afraid, be very afraid."

We stopped and looked blankly at them. "That's right, see Dragon, someone at least gets the picture." William told him.

"Wait a minute, didn't you get knocked out by those dumb training droids?" Goland asked William.

"Yeah I heard that too." Santrick, Goland's friend added.

William rolled his eyes, "Yeah that's right."

"You know I fought droids today too, and I didn't get knocked out." Goland paused, "Looks like you Strike ain't so big and bad after all."

"What, one?" I asked bluntly.

"As a matter of fact, I fought two." He chuckled.

"Two…I fought four." William told them, tensing up.

"What were they? Level five…" Goland laughed, but was cut off.

"I bet you've never even seen a level five battle droid. If you had an argument with one, you'd be stumped for hours. Too advanced for your dumb skull." Master Xack said coming up behind the trio. That was pretty bad considering battle practice droids couldn't even talk.

"Oh…um, Master Xack, um…"

"Don't oh, um, Master Xack me. You're just lucky these three have enough wisdom not to whoop your candy asses. Now mind your own damn business, you bunch of ingrates." Master Xack told the Guardian Padawan's, beckoning us to walk off. "Those idiots probably never even knew a battle droid could get up to level seventeen." Master Xack was pretty cool as well, he knew what he wanted, but boy did he have an attitude. Well I guess you have to have one if you're in charge of the Jedi Strike Team.

Already sitting on the cushions were Master Sandra, and Master Vrook. Master Xack and the three of us joined them. Usually our three Masters sat together, there were seven other Masters and Padawans in the Jedi Strike team numbers. Though Dragon, O'Conner and I were the only humans. Nothing wrong with the other members, it was just easier to get along with other humans than it was with Selkath's or Iridonian Zabrak's. Plus if you only understood Galactic Basic, then that was the end of discussion.

"What took you so long?" Master Sandra asked Dragon.

"It was just…those stupid Guardian chumps were giving Will a problem."

"Damn right," Master Xack began. "You know, I don't like those idiots, tell me how thick headed can you be, I mean, yeah my Padawan's pretty thick headed…"

"Thanks Master Xack," William sarcastically said.

"Hey no problem lad, anything I can do to help the spirits of my young Padawan…where was I, yeah but I mean those boys are stuuppiidd. Wherever could they have gotten it from?" He paused waving to their Jedi Masters across the hall. "Hello you damn fools. Yes you are a bunch of idiots." He smiled at them.

After a couple of minutes the Great Hall had filled to capacity and the meeting had begun.

**October 9, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1800 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight Dragon**

Standing at the front of the hall were the members of the Jedi Council. Master Riddick, Master Ash, Master Sutherland, Master Voss, Master Benoit and of course the Senior Jedi Council Member…Master Luminous Neo. These six Masters are the wisest and most powerful of our Order. All throughout the week they discuss situations in closed doors in the Jedi Council throne room. They are rarely seen, except for early morning, and late afternoon. And of course if a Master or Padawan are summoned to the Jedi Council chamber. If one is summoned, the other must accompany. Only once a week are they regularly seen, that just happens to be bore time, as Relena likes to call it.

Master Neo began to speak, and the room respectfully silenced. Master Neo definitely has command presence. Just a glare from her solemn blue eyes would make anyone think twice about being disrespectful. She is just a little bit shorter than Master Benoit, but wow, does everyone know her? If someone didn't know who Master Neo was, all you had to say was, 'look for the fiery red hair, the pointed elf ears, and the only Master wearing a Blue robe on Dantooine.' After that, everyone basically knows who she is.

Once a Jedi attains the rank of Master, they can wear basically whatever they want. Master Neo was the only Master, to truly take that to heart. Not only does she wear a Blue Robe that she leaves open, she also wears little else. Regardless she does wear low cut pants, and red travel boots. But on her upper body she only wears a torn piece of purple and white leather to cover her chest, and that was about it. Leaving her stomach, neck and collarbone exposed.

Now, no Master has ever disagreed with her way of dressing, I mean, who would? She's the Senior Jedi Council member, she can do whatever she wants. Besides, if anyone ever gives her a problem, they would certainly have to go through Master Benoit, and no one wants to go through that. _Probably why no one has either_.

Also what's odd is that no one knows her age, or can even guess it for that matter. Naturally she's an elf, so she is an immortal. She looks like she's twenty, though she's been a Jedi since the very beginning of the Jedi order itself. From what I've heard, and seen, Master Neo is a very serious Jedi. Only a slight sense of humor, but I guess if you've been around for so long you kind of don't need one anyway.

I looked to Master Vrook, _Relena's Master. _He had medium length brown hair, chrome blue eyes and a slight beard surrounded by stubble. He had the look of a man in his early forties, that had way too much stress and trouble on his plate.

Looking at Master Xack I could see his old age. A Jedi in his fifties, bald brown head, he has a mustache that hangs down to the bottom of his chin. Yet he deliberately shaved in between the two mustaches in order to not have a goatee. He had a scar across the left side of his chin, from some sort of mission he had been on years ago. He wore a yellow tunic, and brown robe. "What you staring at boy?" he asked me. "Pay attention this may be somewhat important."

"Sure," I told him, paying attention.

"Members of the Order, you are called here tonight on behalf for us to address you on the escalating situations from the Republic, brought about by the Sith." Master Neo addressed. "It seems the Republic has elected a new Supreme Chancellor, Chancellor Takkata Unson. Only about half the Republic systems have replaced senators, for their planet. Yet that was easily foreseen to be done, that is not the main reason you are here." She paused to look at the Great Hall very closely.

"As you know, Weapon Master Potkot had been assigned to a mission on the Outer Rim world of Taris III has been missing for some time now." A Weapon Master was the greatest tool we had against our enemies. Weapon Masters were the absolute best in lightsaber dueling. They performed many so called 'suicide' missions and were exceedingly well at it. There was only one of these such Masters at a time, but their status was beyond legendary. She paused, to excruciate the point. "We've discovered that he's dead." I felt a force of uneasiness filter across the Great Hall. My own Master put her head in between her hands and I watched Relena's Master bite his lip and borrow his head down, Will's Master stared off silently in the distance…not wanting to comprehend the pain he surely felt. "Furthermore, the Sith without remorse have taken full responsibility for the matter. Stating that, 'any Jedi who encounters a Sith, is a threat to the future of the Sith Empire, not even a Weapon Master can stand a chance against the might of greatness.'" She paused and put down the holo-panel she had been reading the article from. "This is surely not the first time a Sith has murdered a Jedi Weapon Master." I had flashbacks of my first Master, Sarah Nightingale...I had learned years ago that she too had been a Weapon Master…_the Sith had surely killed her as well_. "Yet, the brutality and lack of respect in the way he was killed, is beyond words." I could see Master Neo close her eyes as she spoke her next words. "On televised Galactic Television…they beheaded Weapon Master Potkot. A despicable act that could have easily been avoided: and was totally uncalled for. The Sith are becoming more ferocious, and frequent, with their attacks. Make no mistake, they are your enemy and they will not hesitate to kill you. The time for swift retaliation is at hand. Immediately after tonight's meeting certain chain of events will be placed into action."

"Certain chain of events, what does that mean?", I whispered to Relena. She just shrugged, not knowing what it meant either.

"Shhh!" Master Vrook hushed at me.

"They will be executed in a timely manner, with no remorse. Those who have been summoned to the Jedi Council Throne room will be further briefed after dinner. The Sith have no idea what's about to hit them." With that, Master Neo rambled on for several more minutes.

"Enough of these unfortunate events for one night, I will not further burden you on an unfilled appetite, the rest can wait until next week. Eat, and enjoy the company of friends, until next week my fellow Jedi." With that, Master Neo had finished her Pre-dinner speech.

As usual, the order began a frenzy of discussion following the speech. Many were of the fallen Weapon Master. The position he held meant more than just his death could stain. Though fallen, a Weapon Master always lived on through another. The great warrior of the Jedi, our ultimate weapon had been slain…_the Sith had indeed sent a statement to us._

"You and your Padawan were summoned to talk to the Council, right?" Master Vrook asked, interrupting my thought.

"That's right, I wonder what it's about." My Master told him.

"I don't know, but in the way of her tone of voice, it sounds dangerous." Master Vrook told her.

"Let's not discuss this matter, there's other things to talk about." My Master told him, trying to change the subject.

"Danger, like that's anything new to us?" I asked out loud. Master Yuna and I were known for having an emaculant record in combat…most considered dangerous.

Catching the point, Master Xack spoke aloud. "It's about time those Sith Bastards got what was coming."

"Hell yeah, that's what I say!" William agreed.

"Boy, what's up with you and your cussing? You think your cool or something?" Master Xack told William.

"Sorry Master,"

"Damn kids," Master Xack said.

"Man, you ain't ever going to change." Master Vrook laughingly told him.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Oh…nothing."

"No, fool, what's that supposed to mean. You tell me."

"Someone getting an attitude?"

"You damn right I am, you trying to imply something?"

"Hey don't' make me sic my Padawan on you." Master Vrook teasingly threatened, trying to break the tension that we all felt at the moment.

I instinctively smiled at their pre dinner squabble. Master Xack was an extremely effective swordsman, if he were to go one-on-one with nearly any Jedi he'd most likely win. But nearly any Jedi wasn't Relena, and she could surely give Master Xack a run for his money. They would make a pretty entertaining match.

"Ooh, you don't have to go that far. I saw what that dangerous woman did to Dragon, so no thanks I'll shut up now." He laughed, patting Relena on the back.

"Um hum." My own Master agreed.

"What happened?" William curiously asked.

I, and Relena, explained to him the event while grabbing our plates from the protocol droid.

"So she almost beat you huh?" William asked.

"Well she's beat me a couple times, but man this one was pretty close." I told him.

We sat down, and ate our meal together talking about the upcoming competition. We knew we would win, we always did. After finishing my dinner, which I didn't finish _I was too nervous about talking to the Jedi Council_ I summoned the Protocol droid, and gave him my half eaten plate of food. Respectfully, I waited for my master to finish before I stood up.

"Already set to go I see." My Master said.

"Yes Master…of course, if you're ready." I knew she was, I could feel the overwhelming curiosity flowing through her. She much wiser than I, in the fact of how easily she could hide her emotions from expressing outwards upon her blue face.

"Young Padawan's, so eager to leap into danger and exhilaration. If only I was that young and adventurous." Master Xack told me.

"What are you talking about? You're always eager to leap into danger, and you're way too adventurous for your own good. The only difference between you and a Padawan is that you're wiser, and older." My Master told him.

"Hmm, good point." Master Xack told Master Sandra.

"Farewell, until tomorrow." My Master told Xack, and Vrook.

"Goodbye Relena, Will…" I said giving him a nod as he continued to gorge his face with food. I gave a wink to Relena and walked off with my Master.

**October 9, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1855 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Master Luminous Neo**

"That will be all, may the Force be with you." I told Master Quinn and his Padawan. As they exited the room I turned to look at Master Benoit, he gave me a stern look in return.

"None of our Jedi have come back with information on the missing girl, Christi Hemmington?"

"No Master Benoit, not as of yet." I told him.

"Luminous, it's very important we find her. She is the daughter of the most powerful witch ever. If the Sith have gotten a hold of her, there's no telling what power they could unleash on the galaxy." Master Riddick said.

"Yes…I agree, and rest her mothers soul." I said aloud, recalling the fate of Christi's mother _also named Christi Hemmington and more commonly known as the Golden Witch _who had died two years ago. It had been reported she had died fighting the space pirates on Ataxia Four. But everyone knew that was a fabricated story. Her real death was…so much nobler than that.

Regarding the Golden Witch's daughter, Christi. All of our intelligence has suggested that she was kidnapped roughly ten months ago by the Sith. If they've killed her or not, is not known. Nor is it, if they've turned her to the Dark side or not. _Help us all, if they have. _We've been unsuccessful in finding her, because her captors have made it so. The only explanation is that their keeping her mobile somehow. But how it's avoiding our detection, is unknown even to myself.

Yet due to sheer luck, we've discovered that all of the girls whereabouts, statistics, vitals and previous locations our stowed away in a protected computer file. On this far away world, holds the key that we need to finding the girl. Also this far away world holds the likes of many of our enemies.

"Master Neo, it's absolutely prudent that we find her." Master Voss spoke. "The planet where the documents are held is a harsh one, full of scum and liars. May I suggest that we send in a strike team…" a subtle smile curled across his lips. "A bit more accustomed to the rigorous environment in an extreme situation as this, perhaps Master Sandra and her Padawan as well?"

I nodded my head in agreement, _Our top Jedi Strike Team duo_ the Sith won't know what hit them. "Two steps ahead of you my old friend. The two are being summoned here this very instant to be briefed in this matter. I believe both have more than enough qualifications for this prolonged mission of theirs."

"This is a dangerous mission you want to send them on Luminous, are you sure he won't falter?" Master Benoit asked.

"I know he won't, he is the most promising Padawan in the entire academy. I would be surprised if anyone could best him in a duel."

"No doubt is he the best Padawan in the academy, yet I mean…"

Hearing him talk I knew what he was leading too, "I understand that the boy is young, but he is indeed skilled. Don't let the age of his youth blind you. That being said…" I looked out to the Council before me, "don't let his past history misguide any of your judgments either…he has no knowledge of it himself, don't let it deter you from trusting him. He'll do fine." I left the conversation at that, no need to continue with it.

"I hope your right. Yet remember she's there, if he meets her?" Master Benoit asked me.

"There is no better ally than that of blood. He will do fine, I'm positive of it…" I confidently reassured him.

"I agree, Weapon Master Nightingale and Master Sandra have taught him well." Master Riddick said. I smiled inwardly as I remembered the Weapon Master of the past…she too was gone…in her own way.

"Yet this a major mission. Studying a quick way to eliminate an opponent is one thing, extracting what you have learned is something else. Actually killing someone with your lightsabers, feeling their death in your conscious…no amount of training can prepare a Padawan for that. It may be difficult for him." Master Voss told the council.

"Do you not remember his mission last year?" Master Sutherland pointed out. "On the planet of Calm where he fended off a refugee camp of ten insurgents…he left none alive. He earned a commendation award for that mission alone. Not to mention, are you unaware of his incredible duels against Padawan Relena? The same as a regular fight, just without the killing.".

"Right you are, though I doubt there will be a surprise invasion by insurgents with lightsabers on this mission." Master Ash said lashing back at the Strike Team Master.

"Be careful to not underestimate your opponent, especially the Sith. The boy has trained for countless years, a Dark Jedi will be no match. The boy acts like a Dark Jedi, dresses like them, power like them, but make no mistake, he's not one of them, by no means does he think like one. He has proven his worth time and time again as a Jedi of the Republic. Like a Dark Jedi and Dragon, they are both unconventional, and mischievous in their battle tactics." I told Master Ash.

"Very true, yet so is this newly formed Jedi Strike Team that we have assembled." Master Ash informed me.

"We shall see how this all plays out. The boy is going, discussion closed." Master Benoit instructed the council. "I shall summon Master Sandra and her Padawan."

I merely nodded in agreement. This was in fact Dragon's first major assignment, on his previous missions, though minor in size, he demonstrated just how excellent he was with a blade. Almost too excellent, he was a Jedi and one of the best, even amongst the Masters. Even with my knowledge of the force, it is hard to foresee his future. It is much too clouded by the Dark side, not only from himself, but the events aspiring from the galaxy and the current situations. I could foresee the future of great Jedi's, such as Relena Selene, William O'Conner, Itai Ryuu, Jaja Gainsborough…but Dragon was something different. He was unquestionably the most skilled Jedi to ever pass through the Academy, but to see him as a great Jedi was clouded, the aura of uncertainty flowed imminently through him. He would prove his uncertainty to himself and the Order on this mission.

"You've summoned us Master Neo." Master Sandra addressed me, as she and her Padawan stood before the council. I waited to see that Master Benoit had taken his seat by my side before I began to speak.

"Yes, you and your Padawan are aware of the current situation, are you not?" I asked Master Sandra.

"If you are referring to the retaliation against the Sith, yes Master we are."

"You've been called before the council to execute one of these key missions." I then stared into the green eyes of Master Sandra's Padawan. "This is a dangerous mission, indeed. You are to be sent to the planet of Faun…" I paused to read their reaction thus far. "As I can sense, neither of you are aware of Faun. As you can easily conclude, Faun is not a planet part of the Republic. It's on the outer rim, controlled nearly entirely by the Mandalorians. They are a growing population in league with the Sith. Illegal trading, prostitution, and slavery are the main source of income on this world."

"I see, sounds like a paradise vacation so far." Master Sandra joked.

"Yes, well as I stated earlier, these Mandalorians are in league with the Sith. There are many Sith bases scattered across this vast world, yet in Renavel, the capital of Faun, there is the Sith main headquarters for that planet. Within this base, we know from Master Jove-Quo, that there are concealed documents that reveal whereabouts on an important witch by the name of Christi Hemmington II, hopefully whereabouts that will reveal her location or patters of her previous locations so we can find her. The girl was kidnapped following her mothers death. It's vital that we find her, if the daughter of the Golden Witch is turned to the Dark side, she could with time destroy our entire Order."

"That powerful?" Master Sandra asked in disbelief. Dragon too looked at me in disbelief.

"Yes, her blood is rich. I doubt I have to inform you of the unparalleled strength her mother wielded, if Christi is even half as strong as her, we'd all be doomed if she turned against us." I looked out at the concerned Jedi Masters sitting around me. "Our current beliefs indicate that this sixteen year old girl is being held hostage by such high names as General Taurus, the military General of the entire Sith military fleet. Saint Vuru the notorious Black Wizard of the Magic Order. Darth Predoric, the unholy Apprentice of evil. Or even Darth Nefirius himself, Ultimate Lord of the Sith…" I paused as I sensed the uneasiness flowing through Master Sandra as I merely stated the name, 'Darth Nefirius.'

"You are to first rendezvous with Master Jove-Quo, who will thoroughly brief you on the Sith base that holds the key documentation on her. Then you are to recover these documents anyway possible. It's obvious that the Sith will not simply hand these documents over. The girl means more to them than you could ever imagine. As unnatural to your previous circumstances as it is, you may want to be discreet in your methods of retrieving these documents. I would advise that you hide your identity as Jedi's. Not only are you going against a large population of Sith, you are also going against gangs who would benefit greatly for killing a Jedi, though I doubt they could." I held back a smirk. "Not to mention the countless amount of Mandalorians inhabiting the planet. You must know that Mandalorians are some of the most battle efficient species in the galaxy, they strive from finding a good fight. Regardless whether they lose or not, they live on respect and honor from battling worthy opponents."

Reaching in my cloak, I took out a holo-pad which displayed an image of the young girl. She was smiling in a field of blue grass and wore a light green dress. I handed it to Dragon, "this is Christi…she's been missing for several months now."

I could sense an unusual feeling in Dragon, one of possible 'interest in the physical specifications of the girl.' It was too momentary to judge though, he handed the holo-pad to his Master immediately and looked back at me, clearing his mind.

"Be thorough in this mission, this girls life depends on it." I paused to sense the young Padawan's eagerness and focus lingering on every word I spoke. "You will leave a week from today's date, just before sunrise on the east transport. Master Benoit will accompany you to the planet, further briefing you along the way. This mission will take several weeks to accomplish, but I am more than confident you two will be able to complete this task." I now stared at the Padawan. "Be wise of your actions, and be aware of the ever Dark side that will surely try to sway you on this mission. Consult with your Master, and trust any order she gives you. They may appear odd, but she is wise and knows what she's doing." Looking at the both of them now, "Prepare for your journey and continue your practices until your departure, may the force be with you."

As they bowed and left the room, I sensed Master Benoit's uneasiness in the way Master Sandra reacted to the name, 'Darth Nefirius.' Unknown to many, there was much tragic history between the Twi'lek Jedi Master and the Dark Lord of the Sith. One way or another in time, it would surely parallel the same way it had twenty years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

**DARTH PREDORIC**

**October 9, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**2315 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Reecee Capital Republic Base**

**Dark Jedi Master Hoth**

"You Republic scum, you are so weak and pathetic you deserve to die." I told the thinly Republic officer. Without little resistance, we easily tied the poor excuse for a human up. Ready to move in for the kill I activated my lightsaber. It glowed red and made a humming sound as I danced the lightsaber across his body. He followed the beam with his beady eyes, coursing through his body I could feel him enthralled with every ounce of pounding fear. I could sense the fear, easily enough, almost could smell it too. The ability to easily end one others life was somewhat intoxicating.

"You will gain nothing from killing me, soon the Jedi will come with the force and…" the swine began to whimper.

"The Jedi?" I laughed heartily, "The Jedi fear us, because of our use of the force. Soon they will be an extinct race, a forgotten memory of a sad ritual tradition."

"You Sith, you Sith…" the rat began to say.

"What? Us Sith, yes we are the future of the Galaxy. A Galaxy in which the strong prosper and the weak are slain, I agree with you completely."

"You Sith are disgusting, brutal, animals, and the Jedi will destroy you all." He said with much anger.

"Wrong answer!" I snarled, lunging the beam of my saber into his gut with a passion of unparallel hate. I took out my beloved lightsaber, and pulled up a chair, to watch his torqued face as he died. I faintly smiled as the last drops of blood dripped from his gaping mouth onto the floor. He eyes rolled back into his drooping eye sockets and he died. I had not remembered being so fascinated in a long time. Not since my old Master on Korriban had showed me proper execution of a lightsaber by killing the Sith trooper that walked by our door. It was exhilarating hearing the sharp scream of pain come from his mouth as the lightsaber plunged through his torso and came out the other end.

"Master, we have encountered a problem. During the attack on the base, several of the Republic guards captured our Sith troopers. They've barricaded themselves in the next room and they're holding them hostage; they claim they will kill them if we don't comply with their wishes." A Sith trooper informed me.

"How many did they capture, trooper?" I asked the Sith soldier, seeing my own reflection in his shiny helmet. It was annoying how these troopers were completely covered in all of this unnecessary armor. A trooper is a pawn in battle, they are there to die. What does the Sith benefit from if the trooper is injured in battle, and doesn't die? Nothing, well except for lost funds: to go to medical supplies. War's are made to kill, if a war didn't have deaths how would anyone win? How would anyone be outnumbered? Besides, the armor may fair somewhat if hit with a blaster, yet is totally defenseless against a lightsaber. The armor these Sith troopers wear is nothing more than a nuisance.

"They've captured four of our military officers, and six of our Sith troopers Master."

"Where are they?"

"Just barricaded beyond that door." The Sith trooper pointed out.

Ooh, a triple reinforced blaster door. That would be quiet difficult to open indeed. Quiet difficult for any Sith trooper, yet I am a Dark Jedi Master, such obstacles were merely childish to one such as myself. Sighing, I stood up and clicked my lightsaber onto my belt. As I walked through the corpse of bodies, and bloodied hallway, I took a great sense of satisfaction in the way these lowly termites fear me. Each trooper waddling to another direction of the room as I strolled passed them. Is the mere presence I portray so outstanding? Although I had been accustomed for many years to this fear, for one such as myself, I still found it preposterously exhilarating.

As I strolled pass one specific medical trooper, I can see that he is kneeling down next to another Trooper. The medical troopers wore no armor, other than a blast proof chest flak jacket. They wear black hats, and black Sith masks, relaying oxygen to their lungs. You could easily tell a common Sith trooper, from a medical one. Apparently the injured Sith the medical trooper was tending to, had suffered a gaping blaster shot to his neck _one of the only places the armor did not cover_. The medical Sith trooper looked up at me.

"This trooper is horribly injured, there is little left I can do for him." The medical trooper explained to me, placing another patch of Kotto solution onto a cloth, applying it on his gouged torn neck.

"If there is little left you can do for him, why waste our medical supplies?"

"Master, this brave trooper is dying." The medical trooper pleaded.

"Do you know how much that damn Kotto cost? It is the most effective medical solution in the entire galaxy. The Sith buy it in bulk, to bring our wounded back into action. Not to let the inevitable nearly dead Sith troopers like this one here, have a reassuring feeling before they die." I hatefully told him. "Spare no more medical supplies on this clumsy trooper, his death is only a reflection of his inability to effectively combat. We do not reward troopers who can't win a fight."

I could sense the anger flowing through his veins, "As you command, Master Hoth." He respectfully bowed, picking up his supplies, and continuing his patrol across the room, seeking injured Sith troopers

As he left, I could sense the loss of life coming from the injured Sith trooper. This Sith was stupid to get injured in battle, clumsy to let his guard down so he could be shot in the neck. I have never once been injured in battle, because I am not stupid. It was fitting the trooper died, that made one less stupid trooper in the Sith Empire. It was impossible to win battles, let alone wars, with stupid Troopers. The smarter you are compared to your opponent, determines the outcome of the fight. This was nothing more than common sense.

As I walked up to the door, I pushed the Sith troopers aside, who were attempting to negotiate the retrieval of our captured. I instinctively activated my lightsaber and lunged it through the right bottom corner of the door. I then traced the beam of the saber across the door in a rectangle motion. Using the force I ripped the beam cut door from it's once held metal plating and through it across the room.

"What are you doing? They have our men in there." The remaining officer who hadn't been captured told me.

I jammed my lightsaber into the next layer of metal and began my motion once again. "I am aware, four officers, six enlisted."

"Then what are you doing? Those Republic members will kill our men if we come through this door." He told me, as I flung the second of the three blast doors, across the hall, with a wave of my hand.

I stopped and looked bluntly at the Sith officer. "Commander, our orders are clear: to eliminate the Republic soldiers from this military base. Now where in those orders did it say to waste time, saving our own stupid troopers who managed to get themselves held hostage?"

"But Master, there are four officers in there."

"Obviously not good officers, if they managed to get captured." Moving him aside I resumed my tactic. "Besides…the Sith have other officers." As I continued my slashing motion through the remaining blast door, I could here what seemed to be Republic scum.

"Hey, we have your men. Come through this door and will kill them."

Slicing through the final blast door, I threw it towards the other doors. I could now clearly see the Republic pigs standing in the room, with our men held at hostage.

"Take one more step and will kill them."

I could sense that if I took another step forward they wouldn't kill the hostages first. They would naturally shoot at us first, firing blindly with their blasters. I knew that from the poorly manufactured Republic model blasters, that smoke would protrude from their tips. Leaving a blast smoke, that would blind both parties. Hesitating, and freighted from the initial gun fire, and not being able to see where the blasters would shoot, the Sith Commander I had just been talking to would surely die, along with the two Sith troopers to the right of me. Of course, taking a step to the right would avoid all blaster shots from hitting me. Now, I could warn them, but why waste my time. If they are stupid and don't dodge the blaster shots, they deserve to die.

"Good…" I took a step forward. Just as I predicted, the fools began to fire their blasters. Shots from their blasters engulfed both parties and smoke filled the entryway. Amongst the blasts of fire, and rampant fools screaming, I took the opportunity at hand.

Activating my lightsaber, I released it from my hand into the Republic crowd. The lightsaber, flew in a boomerang like motion. Guided by my hand, I passed the beam through the neck of all the individuals in the Republic stronghold. Regardless if their Republic soldiers, or Sith hostages, they all are stupid.

The screams were stopped, and I caught my lightsaber with ease. Deactivating it, I clicked my weapon back onto my belt. The room across from me was nothing but beheaded corpses now. Looking to my right I saw the obvious, two dead Sith troopers, as anticipated. Yet something happened I had not expected, the Sith Commander, to the left of me, I had expected to die, had actually lived.

Not as predictably stupid as I had first assumed. Obviously, he was not hesitant when the initial blaster was fired. The Commander on instinct had dodged out of the way of the blast.

"Are you brainless? You almost got us all killed!" The Commander bluntly yelled at me.

I smiled, realizing what he would see next.

"Oh my god…our men are dead, you've killed four of our best officers."

"Our orders were to eliminate the Republic scum from this base. We accomplished our mission."

"Do you not realize what you've just done? Four of our best officers are dead."

"Those officers were not the best, you are, considering you were the only one smart enough to stay alive."

"You don't base whether an officer is bad or good depending if he dies or not."

I laughed at this statement. _Though smart this officer may be, boy is he thickheaded? _"You could be no further from the truth Commander, what good is an officer giving orders, if he is dead? Without orders you cannot win battles, win wars. A dead officer cannot have their strategic effectiveness in battles determined. The best, and smartest officer, is the one who can manage to stay alive."

"You fool! You know nothing of leadership. You sacrifice your own men for a mission to be accomplished…"

"Old maggot, the ends justifies the means! Great Empires require sacrifices. We are Sith, we have no place for weak or stupid soldiers. We weed out the weak, so we are only left with the strong to fight. We are not some pathetic Republic military, who blindly value soldiers lives, over future accomplishments. If you can't see that, then you have no reason…" I activated my lightsaber. _His attitude and lack of respect had begun to annoy me._

"Master Hoth, we are receiving a transmission from General Taurus." A Sith trooper ran up and informed me. General Taurus is the Commanding officer of the entire Sith military. It was one thing to piss off a lowly Commander, it was quiet another to piss off the Commanding officer of the Sith.

"Fine, then I shall not keep him waiting." I said aloud, deactivating my lightsaber and clicking it back on my belt. As I walked by the annoying officer, I whispered in his ear, "Learn to know your place Commander. Or the next time, I will gut you like the maggot you are." I could strongly sense the anger boiling through his veins as I walked to the computer hologram display.

Switching the terminal on, I took a bow of respect. "Yes General?" It was almost frightening to look at his holographic displayed human image staring at me. That man is not only cold looking, he is most definitely cold hearted. The sheer wrench from his grey eyes alone, were enough to give any person goose bumps. Let alone the awkward way his jaw is connected to his face. I overheard that many years ago, General Taurus had his jaw sliced off in hand-to-hand combat. Seeing how Kotto was not available at that time period, he had it primitively sewn back on, with mesh barb wire. I'm pretty sure with the new medical developments he could have his face properly fixed. Yet I believe he leaves it in his original condition, to show people just how scary and tough he really is.

"I take it that the base has been fully eliminated from Republic occupation?"

"Of course General, it was a successful mission."

"Good, you have done well Master Hoth."

"Thank you General."

"Though, now you and your men will abandon this base and return back to headquarters."

"Abandon sir?"

"Darth Predoric will be arriving shortly, to further 'investigate,' this scene of carnage. You and your men, are not to be present while he is looking into this matter."

"Darth Predoric…here?"

"Your transports will have already touched down outside the base by now. You are to leave immediately."

"As you wish, General." I bowed and turned the terminal off. Pacing over to the Commander, I instructed him, "The Sith are to immediately leave this base, stop whatever it is their doing, and board the transport outside. It must happen with the utmost speed. Do not fail me Commander."

"Understood." Activating the intercom, built into his armor he commanded, "Sith troopers, this is Commander Dewey, you have one minute to leave your post and board the transport outside. Failure to comply will result in immediate death, Go! Go! Go!"

Seeing the officer motivating everyone to run, I told him, "You had better get going as well Commander."

"As should you." He told me. There was still a mild urge of attitude behind his voice. And I think he knew it. "…Master." That one remark had just spared his life a little longer.

I knew I had orders to leave immediately, yet I was also curious. I am no droid, like these pathetic soldiers. I am a dark Jedi, one whose curiosity for quiet some time now had disturbed me. I longed to catch a glimpse of this Darth Predoric, I have only heard tells of his terrifying nature. How he looks like the most gruesome creature to ever walk any of the faces of the galaxy. How he drinks the blood of his victims. No doubt just rumors, but I must know for myself. I must see for myself, the agony of curiosity is overwhelming.

"I will join you shortly, I must give an account of today's events to the Admin officer. I will take another transport and meet with you at headquarters." I lied. Knowing that I had to do anything I could, in order to stay behind and catch a glimpse at absolute evil.

I watched as Commander Dewey, the last Sith, boarded the transport and launched itself back into space. I now only had to wait for the arrival of the Dark Lords' apprentice, Darth Predoric.

**October 9, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**2347 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Reecee Capital Republic Base**

**Dark Jedi Master Hoth**

After hearing the transport land, I instinctively hid in the armory closet that the men under my control had raided. The armory closet is both long and wide, sealed in by a double door security system. Before killing a Republic soldier, we had gained the access codes. I locked myself in the closet, knowing I could easily unlock it from the inside.

I can hear a flurry of footsteps go through the room, from the clingy metal against metal it was probably the patrol droids accompanying Darth Predoric. I can now hear the faint humming of what seemed to be a sensor. Then after what seemed like mere seconds, I could here one of the droids report, "Perimeter all clear."

This followed immediately with the sounds of the droids scurrying their little metal legs from the base. The room fell silent, and I sensed no further movement. Un-clicking the center hatch, I began to push the armory closet door open. I was planning to step out from the closet and look for the Dark Apprentice. Yet surely if I had not sensed his sheer presence by now from his rumored radiating force energy, he probably was not even worth seeing.

"Ugh…" I grunted as I felt an enormous pounding thump in my chest. Almost as if the wind had been drastically knocked out of me. I clutched my chest in unbearable agony. I fell backwards, and breathed a heavy sigh.

'Oh my god, what the hell was that?' I thought to myself. I felt the pounding, coarse through my chest again. Not ever had I felt such a tremor of such might in my body. Not since, not since…the late Darth Naga Sadow. I had seen him on only one occasion. During my final day at the academy, he was merely sitting across the room viewing the potential Sith candidates slay each other to the death. After I had slain my final opponent in battle he nodded a congratulations to me. A curiosity arose in my body, and I had to focus the force to scan his force exponential. And there, amid the students and masters watching me, I felt no other presence: either than the sheer dark force of the late Sith Lord.

Now that same force was tremoring through my body. A combined mix of fear and absolute terror. This must be the force presence of Darth Predoric. Curse me for underestimating this man's ferociousness for even a blind second. _Or was this demon even a man?_ I felt another sharp pain go through my chest, this was becoming too much for me. Along with the pain, came the crunching of footsteps. I immediately cut off my connection to the force, no longer sensing the force potential he was exerting. Hopefully this would stop the pain.

In fright, I crawled back into the armory closet and nearly closed the door. I left a small crack open, barely being able to peer out of the closet with one eye. I feared that he would sense me. Using all available focus, I suppressed the force within my body, not letting it sway throughout the room. Hopefully by using the force, he could not detect my presence. The crunching of footsteps stopped, the room lay silent. I held my mouth, fearing that my breathing was too loud.

My eye moved through the closet door opening, the anticipation was at its peak. 'Where is he?' My question was abruptly answered, as a large bulk of material violently moved pass my peering point. If I had not been holding onto my mouth, I anticipate I would have yelped in surprise. Darth Predoric was now mere feet from me.

As he walked to the center of the room, I was appalled by his disturbing image. In all my life, had I seen anything that compared to this.

I have no idea what Darth Predoric is. He's clearly a Dark Jedi, as his clothing portrays. A black closed cloak, estranged with what looks to be long, sharp, curved bones protruding from his wide shoulders. Leather boots with spikes at either end. A towering figure: with a heavily built neck. But his face…is it even to be considered a face?

A disturbing image, his so called face is. His face looked to be that of the species of a Kel Dor at one point. I know what they look like, because this species was my final opponent my last day at the Sith Academy. An orange, reddish type of skin, with what looked like flaps of waves connected to the skin as ears. At the top of the head is a pointed tip followed by waves of skin to the eyes. Kel Dor when not on their home world, wear Protective goggles, and some type of mask. I think I overheard it being called an Antiox mask. My late Master told me that this is to protect themselves from the majority of the oxygen-rich worlds. Now most Kel Dor have an extrasensory organ on each side of their face, connected to their Antiox mask for added sense and strength. Where most Kel Dor have one of these organs on each side of their face, Darth Predoric has at least five.

His mask is built differently from the one I have seen before. Where as the mask I saw had curved oxygen valves at the bottom of the mask. Darth Predoric has large curved fangs at the bottom of his mask. It's unpredictable how he's able to breath. His mask also seems to cover much more of his face, the one I remember only covered the mouth. This one covers from the mouth, as wide as the extrasensory organs, up around the eyes in a sloping curve of gold and silver. Where the tip of his skull is, parallel silver spikes run down to his protective goggles: all attached as one piece.

I now see him kneel in the center, over the dead Sith corpse with the blaster fried neck. He unveils his arms from beneath the black cloak. The bulging arms move upwards to the top of his mask where smoke and puffs fume. With a hissing sound he unlocks the mask, as I can now see are connected with bolts to his face. Placing the silver and gold metal off his face to the ground he stares at the dead Sith.

Then with a screaming hiss I see what looks to be his jaw, unhinge. Four large fangs protrude from the square corners of his mouth. Tiny slivers of teeth line up every section of his mouth amongst the four fangs. I am too fixated at his mouth to see his eyes embedded with the dark shadow his own figure portrays.

Without hesitation, in a sheer instance, he gorges his face into the blood stricken neck of the dead Sith trooper. I had once heard a rumor that this monstrous creature drinks the blood of his victims, I would have never contemplated that he eats the flesh of his victims. I have never been so disturbed in my entire life. Without knowing it, I gasp in astonishment.

Regrettably my gasp was too loud. Darth Predoric stopped his feasting activities. As the blood dribbled down his neck, he slowly moved his head up. I desperately tried yet another force suppression technique, in order to stay invisible. Yet my useless tactic brought me to no avail, as the ghastly creature stared right into my soul. Locking gazes with me through the small closet crack. I could do nothing to stop staring into the deadly yellow and brown eyes of his. As my eyes bonded with his eyes, I felt no terror, I felt no pain, I felt, just simply, cold.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

**CHRISTI**

**HEMMINGTON II**

**CHAPTER THREE**

**SACRED TEARS**

**October 13, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**2345 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Korriban/Medical Facility 82**

**Witch Christi Hemmington II**

I screamed in pain as he stuck another syringe into my skin and slowly injected solution into me. An unforgettable pain shot through my spine and my toes and hands felt as if needles were shoved into them. My body shook uncontrollably yet again and I began to overheat as sweat ran down my fore head and mixed with my cuts and blood gouged scars making it sting unimaginably more. My wrist and ankles burned and deep welts had formed on them from the metal cuffs bound onto them. My back and shoulders ached from the steel gurney I was strapped to and the scar on my back ripped open yet again and blood seeped down my back. My head boiled once again and I shook and screamed simultaneously.

"Christi…Christi…" Doctor Luman said brushing a hand on my blonde hair with one hand as he handed the empty syringe to his colleague with the other. "This can all end, all you have to…"

"I don't know it! Please…stop…" I screamed as I resisted with all my might to get my hair away from his hands.

He smiled then used an index finger to lift back up his glasses. "Why do you keep resisting, just tell us the command for the summon and this will all be over." He then pressed his thumb forcefully on my left shoulder and squeezed hard where a deep bruise had already formed. I cried out in pain..

"I…don't know it…" I cried and yet cried more as my tears ran down my bloody cuts and burned me with pain.

"Of course you do Christi, your mother taught it to you before she died."

I sobbed and once again strained my body to get away from the bounds…it was useless. "Let me go!"

Dr. Luman once again used his index finger and stroked it under my eyes and wiped away my tears. "Just tell us what you know."

"I can't remember it….I don't know it…" I screamed again.

"No need to yell…" he hushed. "We've only gone through six syringes Christi, I have a desk drawer filled with more. Look…" he grabbed my head and made it turn to look at the opposite Doctor. "I'm your friend Christi, but Dr. Etheridge there spent all night filling those bottles with serums. He wants me to use every single bottle on you." He turned my head back to him and I began hyperventilating. "You really don't want me to use every bottle on you." I shook my head violently and my blonde hair covered my eyes. Dr. Luman parted my hair from my vision and looked down upon me. "You have bright and beautiful purple eyes…" he then bent down and whispered into my bloody ear. "Saint Vuru hates your eyes. He hates every single time he has to look into them. Do you want to know why?" I was so scared right now, Dr. Luman was an insane person. He both hated and loved his job, I was too scared to answer…_I just want to go home_. "Because your purple eyes remind him of your mother, she caused him great grief you know. He says I should rip your eyes out, yank them right from their sockets." I closed my eyes in fear and whimpered. "Look at me Christi…"

"No, get away from me!"

"Christi…" he put a hand on my cheek and moved my head.

"NO!" I screamed with my eyes still closed.

"Christi…"

"NO! Please NO!"

"LOOK at me!" He yelled grabbing me by the throat and forcing me to open my eyes. "If you keep wasting my time, I will have no choice!"

He violently threw my head back into the metal gurney and the back of my head cut open, I screamed. Blood ran down the back of my head and rolled down my neck onto my collar bone. "So cold…" I whispered.

"Here…" Dr. Etheridge said to Luman and handed him a syringe with a tip that was smoking and glowing red. "I designed this one myself."

Dr. Luman took the syringe from his colleague and slowly walked up to me. "A burning tip…did you know that if I were to jab this into your eye, it would cause your pretty little purple eye to explode, your natural human reflexes would take into effect and your eye lid would close, the heat from the explosion would be so hot it would sear your eyelid shut.

"Stop…stop…" I said as he continued pacing towards me. "stop…" I murmured as my body once again began to shake.

"You're going into shock. But don't worry, I'll snap you out of it. You'll wake up regardless when I stab this into your eye." I cried again. "Don't worry, you'll still have one left, god was kind enough to grace you with a spare."

Now above me, he put a hand forcefully upon my head and used his index and thumb to spread my left eye open. I squirmed and strained but my eye lid was still open. "Tell me the spell Christi! Say it!"

"I don't know…."

"SAY IT!!" he rose up the burning syringe and hovered it above my eye. "SPEAK!!"

My body shook once again and saliva began to drool from my mouth. I breathed in and then blacked out.

**October 14, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**0109 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Korriban/Medical Facility 82**

**Witch Christi Hemmington II**

"She's yet to say it…" I could hear Dr. Luman say. _I must have blacked out…_but I kept my eyes closed.

"The girl is proven to be difficult, break her if you need to." Another mans voice said, that of St. Vuru.

"If I administer any more pain, there's a good chance she'll die…"

Luman's words were cut off as Vuru interjected with a harsh voice, "if she dies, you follow her fate."

"Her body should have naturally given up the spell by now, those syringes have high potency." A third person, Dr. Etheridge spoke.

"Her blood is stronger than ordinary." Luman said.

"She's the daughter of the Gold Witch, what did you expect?" Vuru asked.

"Daddy! Daddy!" I heard a little girl yell.

"Yes daddy!" another girl yelled. _Alice and Molly, Vuru's daughters._ "What's wrong with big sister, she looks funny."

"Funny is the way she looks, yep, yep, yep." The other girl added.

"Your big sister is not being good, she's being punished for it." Vuru told them. Alice and Molly always referred to me as big sister, I would never be their family, their sister, anything. "Not being good one bit!"

"Can I say hi to her?" one girl asked.

"I miss her, I want to say hi too." The other added.

Vuru huffed loudly, "make it quick. Dr. Luman and Etheridge have work to do...and don't use your wands near her."

The two girls geed in tandem, "okay."

I could hear their footsteps as they trotted towards me, they giggled then stopped in front of me. "Christi you need to be good for daddy."

"She can't hear you dummy." The other girl chuckled.

"Well maybe she's sleeping, but when she wakes up will all play dollies together."

"Oh yes, dollies, I love doing that." The other said.

"Hey Molly?" one girl said.

"Yes Alice?" the other answered.

Alice whispered to Molly, "we should put an awakening spell on her so we can tell her to play dollies with us when she gets done talking to the Doctors."

"No Alice…" Molly whispered back. "daddy said not to use our wands near her."

"I know, but she's sleeping." Alice whispered back. "We'll do it so daddy doesn't see."

"I don't know."

"It'll be real quick."

"Um k." Molly finally agreed.

_There were smart to take my wand away, but now I had a chance. _Alice began to chant a spell.

Vuru though yelled, "NO! What are you doing!"

I opened my eyes and looked at Alice, she stared at her father in fear. Though my right hand was bound, Alice was close enough and I snatched her wand from her. Alice and Molly looked at me, jumped back and screamed.

"NO!!" Vuru yelled at the same time I yelled, "HIGHWIND!"

A green blast shot out from the wand and Alice and Molly flew backwards into the opposing wall. The locks on me blasted away and the syringes, computers, documents, Doctors and St. Vuru blasted backwards.

I sat up and screamed in pain. But I forced my body to roll off the gurney. Blood dripped down my arms, legs, neck, back, chest and cheeks and I felt like I had just been stabbed with twenty more syringes, but still I found a way to stand up. Though my legs tingled and I blacked in and out, I forced my body to run forward. _I had a wand, that's all I needed._

Running by the two doctors, I noticed that they were slowly getting up and cursing. I didn't see Vuru, but regardless I kept running. Rounding a corner I came across the locked door in which I had entered. I pointed the wand at the door, "aghast!" Grey sparks flew from the wand and collided with the door electronic lock. The door hummed and a green light flashed on the handle, the door slid open.

I ran into the hallway and saw a pair of Sith soldiers in front of me. They stood in front of two mirrors. They lifted their guns at the sight of me. "Blastagus!" I yelled, and with a flick of my wand, I sent either one crashing through the mirrors they stood by.

Another trio ran up towards me and began firing their blasters. I ducked and continued running, then pointed my wand at the ground and yelled, "Aero.." a green beam shot out and I was launched up into the air and flew over my attackers.

A second later, I landed on the ground and rolled back up. My adrenalin outweighed my pain. I screamed, "Figara!" red beams flew from the wand and I lit the soldiers on fire.

As they screamed, I turned the corner as fast as I could and saw right by the building exit stood the six foot five tall St. Vuru, top hat and all. I lifted my wand, "Si…" I began to yell. But Vuru teleported from his position and now stood in front of me. Without hesitation, he then plummeted his right fist with full force into the side of my face.

I dropped the wand and spun in the air before I crashed down and lay motionless on the ground. He wiped the blood from my cheek off on his jacket and stood me up with his hands around my throat. "Girl, did you really think it would be that easy?" he then rammed his forehead into mine and released his grip on my neck. I fell limply to the ground and all I could see before I blacked out was the exit door that was only fifteen feet in front of me…_so close, yet so very far away…_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**THE COMPETITIONS**

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**0923 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight Dragon**

"Dammit! I can't stand these stupid stun lightsabers. They're just as bad as those dumb practice sabers. Bad balance, no crystal adjustments, low power…"

"Complaining won't help, Relena." I told her, looking at my own dull two lightsabers. "Besides, it's not like this is a surprise. They issue these sabers every single year during the competitions."

"I know,… I hate these too." William added in.

"Careful with your words there Will. To say hate is to think in absolutes, and we all know where that path leads…"

"Sorry Dragon, I meant to say I don't like these dull lightsabers either."

"See, that's much better. Careful…once you go to the Dark side, it's impossible to come back…" Relena started to say.

"Oh god, don't lecture me. My master does enough of that." William pleaded. "So who's all in the competition this time around?"

Relena began looking at the papers, "Oh my…"

"What?" I asked.

"Looks like every single Padawan in the entire academy. We've never had every Padawan compete before."

"So what does that mean?" William asked.

"It means that there are a lot of Jedi's out to get us this time around." I told him.

"Dragon, our undefeated streak may be in jeopardy today." Relena told me.

"Well considering how the entire academies out to get us, it's one battle eliminations, and we have crappy lightsabers…I'd say we've got great odds." William said.

"Will, you are way too negative. Where there's huge difficulties, there's huge opportunities. Besides, these are just the type of odds Relena and I live for." I told him, patting him on the back. Looking to Relena, I watched her nod in agreement.

"So… is it true that you two have never lost in these competitions?" Will asked the two of us.

I began to laugh, "No, where did you hear that lie from? Relena and I have lost plenty of times."

"Well to who?"

"Each other." Relena cockily told him.

"So besides each other, you two have never lost to anyone? Sweet, it's like were untouchable."

"You know, this isn't the first time you've teamed with us. Yet every time, you find it amazing that were still undefeated." I told him.

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**0930 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Master Benoit**

"Master Neo, I think we have the biggest turnout of crowd and competitors this competition has ever seen." I told her, looking at the vast crowd. These competitions were always a favorite for both the academy and the citizens here on Dantooine. And not only do spectators come from Dantooine, but other planets as well. The competitions are, and always have been open to the public free of charge. Yet many spectators consider this

an actual sporting event. I even hear that many citizens actually bet on these competitions. Though we don't condone this by one bit, we have no right to stop it either. Within the past couple of years Jedi approval rating has been somewhat declining, this popular so called 'event' is the only thing keeping it somewhat in check.

We always must have a heightened sense of caution when conducting these competitions. Though it may attract many spectators, it could also be used to attract many enemies. That is why precaution is a necessary role to take. On every entrance and exit into the competition arena, there are countless Jedi Knights ready to engage any enemy. Along with advanced combat droids patrolling every square inch of the arena. Coupled with the hundreds of Republic battleships circling the planet, I'd say that were pretty well guarded from the Sith. At least for now, not unless the Sith become suicidal, and think they can overcome the entire Jedi order. Let's just hope that day never comes.

"I believe you are right, Master Benoit." She paused, looking out at the academy Padawans sitting in the bleachers adjacent to the competition arena. "It truly is remarkable the amount of contestants we have for this trio-competition. I don't believe there is a single Padawan not competing, truly unbelievable."

"A true test for team seven."

"You are speaking of Padawan Dragon, Relena, and O'Conner I assume?"

"That I am."

"Hmm, yes, it seems the entire academy is out to get them. Should make for an interesting competition indeed."

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1044 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight William O'Conner**

"Ok so were up next?" Relena asked.

"Yeah." I told her. "Hey Dragon you set to go? I mean we're the last team to compete for this first heat."

"How can we be the last team if we have to compete against someone else? We're one of the two last teams."

"Dragon, you smart ass! You're lucky were on the same team."

"Ooh, I'm shivering in my boots." Dragon laughed at me, while Relena chuckled on the side.

Truth be told, I in fact am really lucky that were on the same side. I've gone against both Relena and Dragon in singles and double matches. And…let's just say, I usually had to stay in the bed a couple of days to heal. I train everyday just to be as good as these two. There is no Padawan equal when it comes to Relena's force power skill. And there is definitely no equal when it comes to dual lightsaber dueling against Dragon. When it comes to single lightsaber skill, the two are at an equal only to one another. That be said, I think were sure to win.

"Now entering the arena Team Seven!" The intercom yelled. "Team Seven comprised of Padawan's O'Conner, Relena, and of course Dragon!" The crowd then cheered in an enormous volume. "This seems to be a fan favorite team."

"Show time." Dragon said to us, as he looked over his shoulder.

We began walking into the center of the arena where Team Forty-Three was already assembled. Walking to the center it's amazing to hear the cry of spectators from the many bleachers surrounding the arena. Well the citizens surely didn't come for the scenery of the arena. _It's quite dull if you ask me._

The announcer now began to speak, over the intercom. "In accordance with Jedi Council law, the rules and procedure for the three-on-three match will be said prior to the match. The battle arena is merely, a thirty, by thirty foot square grey tile floor. Surrounded by a basic energy shield held by four adjacent metal distributors. Selected by random, two competitors enter inside the arena, while the four other competitors wait at each metal distributor pole outside the energy shield. A team member can switch with another team member by touching their lightsaber against the flashing beacon on the metal distributor of the selected teammate. When the selected team member is switched, a small portion of the energy shield will open and the two competitors have ten seconds to switch positions, before the energy shield closes. In the case of a team member being unable to stand to their feet within ten seconds, they are eliminated. The RVF Droid in the arena will then escort the eliminated contestant off the arena floor. When this happens, randomly, one of the two remaining teammates energy shield will open and will remain open until he or she enters the arena. In the case of one teammate remaining, they will automatically have their energy shield open and be forced into the arena. Any foul play by either side, in accordance with the rules, will result in elimination for select party member. The last team with a participant standing wins."

_Blah, blah, blah, same old, same old. _

As we reached the center of the arena the RVF Droid began to speak. "Team forty-three, competing against team seven. Do all participants understand the rules?"

We all nodded in agreement.

"Team seven, competitor O'Conner, and team forty-three competitor Josiah, will be the first active participants. Remaining competitors assume your position."

"Oh fantastic, I'm up first."

"You'll do fine." Dragon reassured me. Seeing my fellow teammates walk outside the energy shield, I felt a little nervous. Not only am I first, that should be nervous enough for one guy. I'm also teamed with the best two Padawan's in the academy, and I don't want to look bad in front of either one. If I got eliminated before taking out another opponent Dragon would be surely disappointed, and Relena would just laugh at me. I don't think she likes me to much, I kind of feel like a third wheel around the two_. Enough of that, time to duel._

Josiah and I were now back to back in the middle of the arena. I then heard the energy shield hum to life as it kept out my two teammates. Before the RVF Droid told us to begin our five pace walk from one another I spoke to Josiah. "Hey, may the best man win."

"Don't worry, I will." The Jedi Guardian spoke.

_Oh, that cocky son-of-a-_

"Walk five paces and begin." The RVF spoke.

As I walked my five paces I drew out my stun lightsaber. Activating it I twirled around, seeing that my opponent had done the same. Yet before he could attack, I launched the stunsaber from my hand and guided it to his side stunning him on impact.

"And O'Conner from team seven has the first hit." The announcer announced.

I watched as Josiah grabbed his side in pain as I caught the stunsaber. A good opening hit, though I know it'll take a lot more than that, to take a Jedi Guardian down. Obviously annoyed with what I've just done, Josiah began running at me in full sprint. With a full proof plan I began backing up, towards the energy shield.

"Why you running?" Josiah asked still running at me.

I gave him a smile and continued backing up, towards the energy shield.

"Boy, why you running?" he asked me, having me now cornered into the shield.

"Who said I was running?" I laughed looking at him, seeing him look back at me in confusion. He instinctively slashed vertically down with his stunsaber. Seeing this, I dodged the slash by running up the energy shield wall itself. At the peak of my run, I leapt off the shield and zoomed passed Josiah's head. I landed with a roll, yet not before I had done my job. In mid air I had jabbed my stunsaber in the back of Josiah's neck. He crouched to one knee and held the back of his neck, screaming in agony. I had just rendered his neck useless. Enabling him to move his head in any direction, what I say? A full proof plan, or what?

He dropped to the ground, yet only for a four second count.

He stood up as did I, standing right behind the sucker so he couldn't see me. The poor guys body is probably throbbing in pain.

Josiah moved in all directions, obviously sensing that I am right behind him. Yet because of his neck, he wouldn't be able to even see if I were giving him a foreign salute. After a couple of seconds shadowing behind him, I decided it was time to stop messing with the poor chap. I raised my stunsaber, and with all my might, swung it into his back.

With a short gasp of pain, he lurched forward and lay on his stomach unable to move from the ground or the count of ten.

"Eliminated." The RVF Droid announced.

"Whoa, looks like within a minute team forty-three is down one member."

The RVF Droid wheeled it's mechanical body over to Josiah and what looks like a scooping type motion, lifted him off the ground. Carrying his body in it's bar like arms, it wheeled itself to the energy shield, deactivated a small portion of it. Then just as fast as he picked him up, the Droid dropped Josiah out of the arena, onto a stretcher carried by yet another droid.

Waiting for the next opponent I looked over to Relena to see her approval rating.

"Not bad," I could hear her say.

Not bad, not bad, hey I could take a not bad, from someone with her skill. Funny, 'not bad,' is the greatest compliment she has ever given me.

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1330 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight Dragon**

"Dang we did good." I said to Relena and William.

"We? What's this we crap, it was all me and Will. You didn't even duel." Relena told me.

"Hey, I did so duel." I protested.

"Yeah it the first heat, and if I must remind you, it was after I had done all the work." Will cockily told me.

"All the work?"

"Yeah, that's right. After I finished that guy off in a minute with that killer blow in the back, and the second guy I already worked him down to where you just had to hit him once. So what, you took out one guy by yourself?" Will told me.

"Ooh I see…" I joked with him.

"Yeah, not to mention the last guy I just took out in this second heat."

"You got to admit Dragon, Will's getting pretty good." Relena told me.

"Hey I'm not saying his good, maybe a little bit of a show off, that's all."

"Hmm, this coming from Mister Show Stopper himself, how ironic." Will said to me.

"Mister Show Stopper? What is that…"

"Greetings team seven…" an RVF droid that had just wheeled up to us, began to speak. "I regret to inform you that team fifteen, your heat three opponent, has dropped out of the competition due to injuries. They have only one member able to participate in dueling, and therefore wishes not to compete. Due to this complication, your heat three match has been forfeited and your team has been declared the winner. We apologize for this complication. Please prepare yourself for heat four." The RVF droid, then wheeled off from view.

"Apologize…yeah right, one less team to compete against, cool!" William said.

"Eh…I could use the rest, at least for one round." Relena said, taking a seat on the wooden bench. I and William sat next to her, watching as heat three took place.

We watched as team two got slaughtered by team nineteen. Team nineteen used one member and annihilated the entire opposing team. That one member was none other than Daniel Lionheart. Everyone usually just called him Lion, for short. A tall fellow who prided himself by being the best Jedi, of all the Guardians. The only real way to explain his lightsaber technique was, well, 'smooth.' He seemed to easily link lightsaber combos together, and often changed hands while swinging the saber behind his back, or over his head. But like I said, it's in a 'smooth,' type of motion. The same age as Will, and probably the same skill too. That's saying something, cause Will's pretty impressive.

I watched as team nineteen celebrated and walked off the arena floor. As they passed the bench that were sitting on, some male testosterone was about to occur. Lion casually looked at me then began pointing right at me as he walked pass. I pointed to myself, to make sure of what I am seeing. Lion merely nodded and continued walking. "C'mon, just bring it!" I stood up telling him.

"Dragon calm down, will get him soon enough." Relena said holding me back.

"Stupid Guardians, thinking their all that." Will added in.

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1412 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight Relena Selene**

Well heat four went easy enough, as I watched team forties last member dragged off the arena. Dragon and I took out team forty ourselves. We decided to give Will a chance to rest. Wow, if it were illegal to tease with your opponents while you were dueling them, Dragon and I would have been out of this competition long ago. It started out with Dragon wearing out the first opponent by constantly dodging and blocking her attacks. Once she became exhausted Dragon took her out with five clean hits to the front and back. When the second opponent came in the ring, Dragon merely just ran around the arena while the Padawan tried to catch him. The Padawan constantly threw his stunsaber, yet Dragon just batted it back at him every time. Then Dragon nearly dodging a blow of his stunsaber began the pleading act, 'oh please don't hurt me, just let me get in my partner,' When he was looking like he would tag me in, he turned around so fast that I could barely catch it with my own eyes. Dragon spun and threw his stunsaber into his opponents ankles. Enabling him to stand for the count of ten seconds. Tagging me in, I had even more fun with the final opponent. As he entered the arena, I began doing cartwheels around him. Adding it with a force jump over his body every now and then. The poor guy became so confused with where I was at, that he barely noticed when I stood right in front of him, waved a smile and whacked a blow with my stunsaber right between his beady eyes. He didn't even give a shout of pain as he took a face plant into the grey tile for the ten count. _Oh, good times, oh, good times_.

I then looked up at the arena spectators. Thousands upon thousands of people sitting above the concrete wall, directly above the competitor waiting area. Forming a semi-circle around the main arena competition floor. And, the circle being completed by the overlooking Jedi Council. For normal competitors, this would be an unbearable amount of pressure, yet we Jedi are above such things.

Well, enough thinking, time to sit down and take a breather from this heat. Or so I thought, that was until I saw the RVF Droid shuffle towards us.

"Greetings team seven." It spoke to us.

"Alright what's up now?" Dragon asked.

"Prepare for heat six, final heat of the competition."

"Whoa…heat six?" Will asked.

"What do you mean heat six?" Dragon asked the Droid.

"Yeah we just finished heat four, so that means were getting ready for heat five, right?" I asked the droid, beginning to get a bit curious.

"Negative. Heat six will soon begin." The RVF stated to us.

"So what happened to our heat five competitors?" I asked.

"Your heat five competitor, team twenty-eight has become unable to compete. Two of the three team competitors were eliminated, and the final team member fainted after victory over team fifteen." The Droid spoke.

"Ok, that doesn't explain the other two teams." Dragon told the droid impatiently.

"Correction, remaining team. You will be competing against team nineteen in the finals. Team four was eliminated by team thirty-nine, then team thirty-nine became unable to compete by…"

"Spare us the analysis, so what, were going against team nineteen." I told the Droid.

"That is Correct."

"Ok so what, five, ten minutes, how long do we have to prepare?" Will asked.

"Approximately zero point eight seconds."

"What? Ze…" Yet Dragon was cut off, thanks to our finalist competitors, walking up behind us.

"Well, well, well, can't say were surprised to see you guys. Kind of expecting it anyways." Lion said as we turned around to meet his team.

"Lion good to see you haven't been destroyed yet." Will told Lion.

Lion then walked right up to Will, the two are nearly the same height. "Mindless fool, it's a stunsaber, not a lightsaber, you can't be destroyed in this competition."

"Oh you sure about that, I bet I could change your mind?"

"Cut it out you two." I said stepping between the two, who were now nose-to-nose.

"Yeah she's right, wouldn't want to beat you three before we even started. Now would we?" Fiona cockily said. Wow, if there is one Jedi I dislike the most it has got to be her. She thinks just because she has blonde hair and big blue eyes that she's absolutely perfect. She's alright with a lightsaber, yet nothing compared to me…_Wait, that's not right._ It's not right for a Jedi to dislike another Jedi, especially if were fighting on the same side. No, to bad talk another…well, let's just say, that can lead you down the wrong path. "Your precious streak ends today."

"Keep telling yourself that, it might make you feel better." Dragon told her. Sometimes I wish I could talk just as open as he does. He believes that if someone wants to talk crap, you should be able to talk right back at them. I utterly fear that my misdeeds will have dire consequences. Yet Dragon pays no real attention to his words, nor his actions. Sometimes I kind of worry about him.

"Well we've finally come to the final match, team nineteen, against none other than your team, number…seven!" The announcer hollered over the intercom to the thousands of spectators.

The RVF Droid then spoke the rules, and asked each team member if they understood. With all members acknowledging compliance with the rules, the duel was about to begin. "Fiona from team nineteen, and O'Conner from team seven will begin dueling. Take your position."

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1415 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight William O'Conner**

"Don't worry I'll take care of her." I told Relena.

"Geez O'Conner, I've been told that I'm cocky." Fiona told me, placing her back up against mine.

I watched as Relena and Dragon took their place behind the energy shield. Turning my head, I saw that Lion and Ornub-San had taken their places as well.

"Walk five paces and begin." The RVF commanded.

"Your free ride ends here boy." Fiona whispered just before we began our paces away from one another.

"Free ride, ooh I'll show her." Before I had a chance to activate my stunsaber I felt a slight pain in my left arm. It probably would have been more of a pain, had I not dodged the flying stunsaber. But like I said, I felt a slight pain, I hadn't dodged the saber completely. "Damn." My left arm was slack, I could barely move it, just barely. _That witch stole my move._

"Whoops, did I do that?" she laughed catching the stunsaber in her hand. Oddly enough I could also hear her teammates laughing on the side. 'Fantastic, isn't this just a great start?'

"Get her Will!" I heard Relena yell across the shield to me.

Well that was all the encouragement I needed. Despite the fact that I know Relena doesn't like me, she is Dragon's girl. _Whether the two of them like to admit it or not, it's so obvious. _And, if I disappoint her, I'm surely disappointing him. Not something I could easily live with. Plus if I lost to a girl, man that would just be degrading.

I shook the stun away and charged at the move stealing witch. She hadn't expected a full fledged sprint, thinking I would hit head on she put up her guard. Raising my stunsaber as well she wouldn't get what she expected. Upon face to face confrontation she swung a hard right with her saber. Seeing her swinging saber I rolled under the swing itself and with all my might threw my entire right side weight into her left arm. Impacting my saber into her flesh. I rolled to a halt and looked back.

She gasped in pain, and even dropped her stunsaber as she fell down. She grabbed her saber, while clutching her left arm she darted me an evil look.

"Whoops, did I do that?" I teased her. _Man paybacks a bitch._

Standing up she soon darted right at me. We made contact by striking one another's saber purely with our right arm. Neither one of us were at an advantage with this recent turn of events. As we struck each other with combination attacks, I began realizing I had the upper hand, as I watched her begin to back up under my might.

With a hard vertical blow I flung her bottom to the ground. She continued blocking herself as I continued attacking her without stop. One swift blow after another, until I finally struck her hard enough that she dropped her stunsaber. Looking into her blue eyes, I would enjoy clashing my saber against her skull.

And that would have been a reality had she not kicked me in the groin. Now I was down to her pathetic level, rear on the ground, except I was now holding my gems. I gasped in sheer pain. "Oh god…" I groaned, _that should be illegal_.

"Oh boy, looks like O'Conner just got hit where the sun don't shine." The announcer said, over the waves of combined boo's and laughs from the crowd.

I looked to see Fiona stand up, grabbing her stunsaber. "Hey it's legal, you can do the same to me." She laughed pointing at me.

"That's…not…the…same…" I mumbled amongst the sound of the RVF counting the seconds that I'm on the ground.

"Four…five…six…" it spoke.

"Get up Will!" Dragon yelled.

Despite the fact that I didn't want to let Dragon down, this was a different case, and right now the ground was my best friend.

"Seven…eight…"

"Don't worry, it's not like you'll be needing them anyway." She continuously laughed at me.

_Wait a minute what did she just say? Oh that's it, I could stand being laughed at, but for her to say that. Oh, that is it._

"Nine…T…"

Before the Droid could spout out the word ten, grabbing my saber, I rocked on my back and flung my legs from under my body. Instantly popping up on my feet, stunsaber in hand. "You'll regret those words."

"Wow, and it looks like O'Conner has beat the count of ten." The announcer said.

I looked to Fiona who was now raising an eyebrow in disbelief. With a swift force jump, I evened the gap between us. Stopping my motion by connecting my saber with hers. Catching her unbalanced, I swung my body around, jamming all of my weight to a single saber swing to her right side. She barely blocked it, turning her body in a one hundred eighty degree turn to dodge the swing. Her right arm connecting with the ground from impact and she stumbled back. Still feeling a harsh uneasiness to her words, I bent down and swung all of my left boot into her jaw. Her unprotected body felt the full impact as her head twisted to the left and blood spewed from her teeth. As her head was still spinning to the left, I swung my right arm into her moving jaw, catching it with the hilt of my stunsaber. She was now turned around, completely opposite of where she had stood when she blocked my swing.

I looked, her back to me and she was yet to fall down. _My god_, I had kicked her in the jaw and punched her with the hilt on my saber in the mouth. And the weirdo was still standing. _Shit_. I took a defensive pose ready to strike with more caution as she turned to face me. Already, I think if she were to give me a hard blow, I don't think I would be able to block it. I'm so exhausted, she would probably win.

She glared into my eyes, and I was ready to attack. Well, that was before her eyes rolled into the back of her eye sockets and she landed with a thud to the ground. It wasn't a face plant, because she didn't land on her front. More like a back plant, cause she landed on her back. The count of ten began, and she was unable to recover.

"And team seven is on top, three members to two." The announcer said.

"Tag me in!" Dragon yelled to me.

I didn't want everyone to think that I could only take on a girl, I could take the next competitor. "Nah, I'm fine. I'm…"

Well I stopped in my words when I saw that the energy shield in front of Ornub-San had dropped, and the big behemoth walked through. I say big behemoth, well because he is one big behemoth. He's a Jedi Consular by title but man, is he big and a little scary at first sight. Of course I'm a Jedi, I don't fear him, that was just a figure of speech. But it was hard to look pass his twenty year old six foot, six inch body and three hundred plus pound build of muscle.

Remember how I said I could take the next competitor? Well that was before I realized how tired I actually am, and how I can barely move my left arm. Man I should have tagged in Dragon. _Why don't I ever think before I act?_

Looking, I realized that Ornub-San had yet to move past the one step he took exiting the energy shield. He wanted me to attack first, fine have it his way. I begun spinning my stunsaber with my right arm in a circling motion against my side. I looked up to his wide chin, "Your mistake letting me…" Yet for some reason I couldn't finish my sentence as the huge figure smiled and punched me right between the eyes. As my vision switched to blackness I realized that my whole stunsaber fancy spin, didn't do to much.

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1426 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Dantooine Jedi Academy**

**Jedi Knight Dragon**

"And just like that, both teams are once again even." The announcer told the sitting spectators. As I watched the RVF droid sweep O'Conner's limp body off the floor, and out of the arena.

I looked to Relena, and she looked at me. I could see her mouth motion the word, 'whoa.' The voice inside my head said the same thing. Just then, I heard a faint hum, and saw the energy shield in front of me lower. "Shit!" I had never dueled with Ornub-San before, he's a Consular, why would I? Yet for some reason or another he had decided to duel with Guardians, and oh my wouldn't this be fun?

I walked through the shield and paced to the center of the arena. I unattached my saber from my side and activated it. I would wait for the large opponent to come to me, I wouldn't make the same mistake as Will. From across the arena Ornub-San began walking up to me.

"Dragon, hmm, I wonder if you're as good as they say?"

"Well let's find out." I told him.

"You know what they say right?" He asked me, activating his own stunsaber, holding it with two hands at his side.

"Yeah, the bigger they are, the harder they fall?"

He smiled at me, and then cracked his neck by moving it to the right and left. "No, the smaller they are, the easier they break."

_Hmm, I hadn't heard that one before._ Yet not too much time to think, as I stepped to the right, dodging his opening blow. _Maybe I could wear the sucker down_. He then swung horizontally, I ducked beneath, dodging that blow as well. He continued swinging, and I continued dodging.

"Why don't you attack little one? Dodging won't win a fight." He asked, still bluntly swinging.

"All in good time." I told him rolling from a vertical strike. I could tell he was beginning to get annoyed with my dodging. Yet I was waiting for my opportunity. A look of frustration now exploded onto his face. He now switched to a single hand stunsaber attack. This would give him a quicker attack, yet it would also give me my opportune moment. Ornub-San swung once again, bluntly to the left. Upon dodging his swing, with both hands on my saber I uppercut the beam of his saber with my own. Due to that he only had a single hand holding the saber I easily was able to toss his saber into the air using the force of my own. My opponent was now without a stunsaber.

Jumping in the air, I swung my entire body into my finishing slash. With all my weight behind the stunsaber, I swung the saber dead into his bulky face. His head turned from the impact, but not his body. He then faced me, looking into my eyes he once again grinned. _Oh shit_, I thought, as I watched him briefly turn to the side, spit out blood and eject two teeth from his mouth.

I can't hesitate, so in quick reaction I swung my stunsaber into his right shoulder. He didn't even flinch as he grabbed my right arm and shook the saber from me. With my saber now on the ground, he head butted my own head and I dropped to the ground. A mist the black and white dots flickering through my head, I watched as Ornub-San looked at my stunsaber on the ground and easily squashed it with his foot. _Oh great, there goes my stunsaber_.

Yet lucky for me, I always carry two lightsabers. _Well in this case, two stunsabers_. I had yet to use my second one in this competition, _no need to use it_…well that is, until now. I looked down to my clip and was about to unclip the saber from my belt, then I sensed a running behemoth coming for me. I was unable to shield myself as he picked me up from the ground, and lifted me over his head. Carrying me across the arena, I traveled towards my own teammate. Atop Ornub-San's arms I got a closer view of Relena, even closer when he threw me at the metal pole outside her energy shield. I landed with a thud, right in front of Relena.

"Hi…Relena…" I spoke to her, looking up from the ground.

"Hi Dragon." She returned.

Trying to get up, I realized I was caught by my own robe. I took it off, and threw it on the ground next to my body. As I began to get up, I was suddenly helped by a thoughtful figure…Ornub-San. Grabbing me by the shoulders he lifted me to my feet, and then with all his might, swung me head first into the pole I had just laid my robe next to. I heard the sizzle and crack of the metal pole I had just hit with my skull. Considering how Relena wasn't free from the energy shield, that meant that my thick head had probably just done something negative to the metal pole, affecting my ability to tag in my partner, _great_. Plus, it seemed that the metal pole wasn't the only thing sizzling and cracking, so was my head. As I felt the blood stream down my forehead.

"Looks like Dragon has been busted open." The announcer obviously said.

As I touched my head, Ornub-San once again helped me up as he threw me clear across the arena. _Man, what a pal_. Now on my back, I once again tried to get up, now my black vest was stuck to something on the arena floor. No time to see what it was I instinctively took off my vest.

For some odd reason the spectators cheered when I did this, yet it was only the female spectators. _Don't know what's up with that._

I staggered up to my feet, and wiped the blood from my eyes. Feeling my side, I remembered my spare stunsaber. I unattached the saber and held it in my right hand. I watched as Ornub-San quickly paced towards my location.

"Like that saber will do anything." Lion said behind me, I looked back to see his mischievous glare. I gave a faint smile, and began to look back when my eyes stopped on Ornub-San's stunsaber I had knocked to the ground. _The sucker had never picked it up, he was just planning on pulverizing me._ Drawing my left hand out I summoned the stunsaber to my hand. Catching it I turned to face the charging Ornub-San. Upon meeting gazes with him, I simultaneously activated both of the stunsabers in my hand, and now I gave him the grin.

I began spinning the two sabers back and forth in my hand quickly. Ornub-San stopped in his tracks and looked at my spinning axis of destruction. Wide eyed, he looked passed me at Lion, behind the energy shield.

"What are you stopping for?" behind me, Lion asked his teammate.

It was funny, I saw Ornub-San look at Lion and shake his head.

"Get him!" Lion commanded.

Stunsaberless, Ornub-San began swinging his right fist at me. I ducked underneath, and bashed both stunsabers against his side. To my amazement, he looked unaffected by the strike, and merely glared at me with hateful eyes. _Unbelievable_, he may be immune from three or four strikes, yet he's no machine. _Let's see how many strikes he's really immune too._

He punched yet again, _his mistake_. As I ducked, I launched an unimaginable flurry of saber strikes to each of his bulky sides. One after another I continued striking his sides, I was doing something. Because while I was striking the brute, he seemed paralyzed by my attacks. Yet I wouldn't stop, I continued striking as fast as I could, putting every sheer ounce of strength into each swing. This colossus had to go down sooner or later.

Blood straining from my head, I couldn't hit him any more, I was too tired. As I stopped, I breathed in gulps of air. I took a step back from my opponent and waited for his next move. I looked up in surprise, meeting his gaze, I found that his eyes were glazed and his mouth was drooling. I soon then understood, _you know what they say? _With an earthquake type thud, the behemoth landed to the floor. Stomach on the ground, he began shaking uncontrollably. Looks like he wouldn't be getting up any time soon, and the count of ten by the RVF droid confirmed that. I deactivated my stunsabers.

With an unparallel sound the spectators gave out, you'd think I defeated Darth Nefirius. "Now it's two to one, looks like team seven has the advantage…wait, wait," The announcer said, as it looked like he was receiving some sort of information from his headset. "According to the RVF Droid on scene, this has become a one-on-one duel. Seems as though Dragon's teammate, Relena, can not enter into the arena; due to the metal pole shield generator dysfunction. Now it's the showoff between Lion and Dragon."

"This is just wrong." I said, looking towards my teammate. She just merely shrugged her shoulders, there wasn't anything she could do. As Lion walked through the energy shield he stopped, as did I, to watch Ornub-San get lifted and dragged off the arena floor. _Ooh my_, it's so gratifying seeing that guy being lifted by something, instead of him lifting something. _So, so, very sweet._

"Just you and me, Dragon." Lion spoke, activating his stunsaber. He walked up to me and looked me up and down, "The best Guardian against the best Strike Team member, this should be interesting."

I wiped some more dripping blood from my eyes, activating my two stunsabers I said, "This should be interesting." Without hesitation I swung my right stunsaber into his single saber. He's at a disadvantage as I was one stunsaber up on him, with my left saber I collided it with his back. Yet, instead of hearing a groan of pain, I heard a "Ping!" sound. As if I were hitting a metal platting of some sort.

Swinging my left stunsaber into his upper back he blocked it with his single saber. With the saber in my right hand, I collided the saber into his left leg, and once again I heard the "Ping!" sound. I backed away looking him up and down.

Lion merely laughed in amusement, he knew that I wasn't expecting this. The Guardian had his entire body covered in some sort of impenetrable metal platting. Even his head, neck and arms were covered in this material.

"Like my armor? It's an advanced form of Bando Fiber, and no normal stunsaber can penetrate it. Combined with my skill, I'm unstoppable."

"Unstoppable?"

"Well yeah…" He stopped as he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Look at you, you're bleeding like a fountain. You have no armor on…I mean, you don't even have a shirt on."

"Get on with it, what are you getting at?" I pressured him.

"You're useless right now, you're exhausted, and there is absolutely no way you're going to beat me. Give it up, you've done your best."

Now it's me who began to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

I continued laughing.  
"What's so funny?"

" You think I'm useless, right now? I've got two sabers in my hand." I took a step back, formed my fighting stance and told him, "Just bring it!"

I don't think he was too happy with my choice of words, as he launched himself at me. Stunsaber in front, I blocked his initial attack by crossing my sabers together. Yet I became defenseless as he spun around me and swung his left elbow into my back. I lurched forward and blocked the next swing of his saber with my own, turning to my right side I connected with his thigh with my other saber, yet to no avail.

I needed to come up with a plan fast, merely hitting him like a regular opponent wouldn't work. I needed to form some type of strategy, in order to win this duel, or I'd just tire myself out. For a couple more seconds, Lion and I continued our block of sabers and my useless hits to his armor_. Eureka! I've got it, it's obvious that if my sabers won't hurt him then don't use them._

As Lion swung with his stunsaber again, I merely dodged it by rolling away. I ran to the far end of the energy shield and faced my opponent. I looked at him and deactivated both of my stunsabers. I clipped both sabers to my belt and looked up at Lion.

"You deactivated your sabers? What are you doing, surrendering?" he asked me stopping in his path.

"In a sudden turn of events, Dragon has deactivated his stunsabers. Is he about to surrender?" The announcer asked over the intercom.

I looked over to Relena and she shook her head at me. Yet seeing her gaze locked with mine, she gave me a confused look with a single eyebrow cocked. I made her eyes follow mine as I looked to the crack in the arena floor ground. Still she looked at me curiously. Once again I looked at the crack in the floor and looked at Lion, crack in the floor, Lion. She smiled with acknowledgment, as I gave a wink to her.

Looking ahead I saw that the RVF Droid had started to wheel towards me, obviously seeing if I would surrender or not. I watched the Droid as it wheeled closer and closer towards me, the little bugger was now in front of me. "Do you wish to surrender?"

"I guess…" I started to say, seeing Lion deactivate his stunsaber turning around. "NOT!" With that, using the force at my side, I began a full fledged sprint at Lion.

He sensed me coming at him and turned around, activating his stunsaber, "What the hell?" He readied himself to attack me.

As I ran, I reached in front of me, and with the flick of a finger I broke apart the loose tile in front of Lion. I hurled the tile at Lion and he sliced it in half with his saber, as expected. Yet he didn't expect the flying right kick that came right after it, into his shiny little Bando Fiber helmet. The kick, propelled by the force, connected so hard with his helmet that Lion was knocked to the ground.

He began laughing as he was on the ground. "Ooh you got me down, big accomplishment. Now what?"

I gave him a smirk, "This!" With both hands I lifted up at least five feet by five feet, of sheer concrete that was underneath the cracked tile. Hurling it up in the air, I flung the hundreds of pounds of concrete onto Lion's downed body. _Of course making sure not to hit any of his organs_. He was able to fend off two or three pieces of concrete but after that he was just doomed. Lion was trapped beneath concrete, and despite his desperate efforts, was unable to get up.

The RVF droid began to count. "One…two…three…four…"

"No this isn't fair, I can still fight." He continued trying to get up.

"Five…six….seven…"

"It's not fair, I had you beat, you cheated, you cheated!"

"Eight…nine…"

"Cheating? Or just wise?" I asked him, watching him squirm beneath the concrete.

"Ten."

"Team nineteen has been eliminated, team seven is the champions."

The energy shields lowered and Relena ran into the arena. She put her arm over my shoulder so I could support my weight on hers. She looked me up and down, bare chest and bloodied face. "Interesting look." She told me.

"Oh shut up…you know you like it." I teased her.

"I never said I didn't," she whispered in my ear.

_Whoa, nice, _I locked gazes with her. I felt like kissing her, I don't know why, I just did. I was nearly about to, until…

"Dragon, Dragon, Dragon…" the spectators began chanting my name.

I broke my gaze and looked up at the spectators.

"In all the tournaments, I have never seen quite a show as good as this one. Just like a story book ending, the crowd is chanting their hero's name, amazing." The announcer said.

"You hear that, you're a hero." She whispered in my ear. "Showoff."

I smiled at her, yet we both began to laugh as we heard what Lion had to say while several RVF Droids began taking the cement off of his body. "I should be the hero, me, I deserve to be the hero, not you, me. Why can't I be the hero?"

As we walked off, I could still hear him moaning and groaning about being a hero.

"What a sore loser." Relena said, as I merely just smiled and wove to the crowd.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FOUR

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**KIMBERLEY LAGUANA **

"**THE FAUN MERCENARY"**

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1517 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Renavel, Faun**

**Dealer Gyro**

"Fifteen thousand credits?"

"Yeah, fifteen thousand, that's what we agreed on." I told her.

Yet as I told her, she cocked one of her eyebrows and blew yet another bubble from the bubble gum in her mouth. Looking down at her right leg, she moved it. So that her left leg was still standing, and her right leg was now raised and her right; high shiny black boot was now on top of the stool next to me, as if she were stretching. But she wasn't stretching, she was showing me her custom made chrome blaster attached to her leg on a garner, atop her black lace leg hose.

"Um…Fifteen thousand is a reasonable…uh, amount." I told her, beginning to get nervous. _Great she's going to shoot me, why do all the pretty girls have to be scary._

"Fifteen…" She said, beginning to walk towards me. With every step, she was making a somewhat squeaky sound from her black leather trench coat. She then stepped right up next to me, leaning over my sitting body.

I couldn't bear to look into her blue eyes, surrounded by black mascara and white face powder. And it didn't help with her silky long black and gold hair flowing into my face. So instead, I just looked down. Yet without intent, I found that my eyesight was now fixated on her chest. I couldn't help but notice her cleavage showing, held by a black corset.

"Fifteen sounds good, but twenty sounds better." She told me. Looking down, obviously seeing where my eyes were looking.

"Um…twenty? I don't know…you know twenty…" I began to speak.

"But twenty sounds sooo, good Gyro." She said, in a sweet luscious voice. "Ooh sooo, sooo very good." She now said, using her index finger to rear my head up to hers, so that we were now eye-to-eye.

"Oh gees, you know, you're scary hot. And guess what, twenty sounds good." I said, caving into her beauty.

Now she closed in closer to my lips, she gave a faint smile. I made the move to kiss her, yet stopped suddenly. That's because there was now a cold chrome blaster under my chin humming to life. "Just a heads up, if you wouldn't have said yes, I would have blown your fucking brains all over the sky."

With that, she put her chrome blaster under her garner belt. Turned around, and walked out of the bar. It was ironic seeing her walk off, because on the back of her black trench coat in white letters read, 'Beauty is Death.' "Wow, what a woman." I said.

**October 15, 1415 Galactic Calendar**

**1519 Galactic Standard Hours**

**Renavel, Faun**

**Mercenary Kimberly Laguana **

'_Men are so pathetic,'_ I thought, as I walked through the set of wooden saloon doors. Twenty thousand credits is a bit over the regular pay for a simple protection mission. I had never dealt with Gyro before, but he's a well known dealer here on Renavel. The guy is mostly into illegal dealings, _or so I hear_.

Usually I'd work for the Red Wolverines. _A gang who frequently raids the Mandalorians bases_. They would hire me to steal data and firearms from the base. Just so that the gang, could use it right against them. I would have done the work for free, because I hate those damn Mandalorians. But hey, the credits they paid me weren't the most, but it's for a good cause.

Besides I needed to take a bit of a break from the Red Wolverines, the Mandalorians caught me on their surveillance cameras numerous times. Every time I raided their base, it was more of a chance for them to catch me. Hell they've even tried to kill me in my own apartment before. Of course they know where I live, and who I work for. Yet they still can't eliminate me.

I remembered that once they even sent a bounty hunter after me 'Jane Lovelace'. A human female with pale white skin, long white hair, and a huge fixation on every story you ever heard about cowboys and cowgirls. I say this because Jane wears a brown leather coat and cowboy hat, silver spurs, black boots, and carries gold twin blasters. The freak even talks in a thick western galactic basic accent, and oddly can pull off wearing her outfit pretty good, if you match it with her quick draw blaster fire.

Jane came to my apartment one night, and her and I had a long shootout. It eventually ended with me shooting her in the leg, and her throwing a flash grenade at me while she made an escape. She's good with a blaster, but not as good as me.

But like I said before, I'm working for Gyro this time around. I don't fear the Mandalorians, I would just prefer a little less attention from them. This mission didn't even seem that hard either, all I had to do was protect some dealer named Charkov from getting killed in a simple stim deal. Of course Charkov would be accompanied by the rest of his gang, but I cared little about them. I just knew I had to protect Charkov.

I had to meet Charkov behind the 'Letterment statue,' (A large iron statue of the first great Mandalorians General) at noon. Just enough time for me to refill my blasters and get some hard border line toxic alcohol in my system.

As I walked down the streets of Renavel I marveled at it's diversity. Though I had lived here my entire life, I still felt in awe at the sheer number of things you could find here. Any type of species from any planet could be found here. Twi'leks, Zabraks, smugglers, mercenary's, bounty hunters; anyone. Renavel is kind of like a gigantic Medieval flea market. Nearly any weapon, armor, or accessory could be found here. Almost any imaginable thing you could want to do in the galaxy, you could do here. We weren't as constricted by rules and regulations. _Well maybe everyone else in the world might be, but hell, I could give less._

For all it was worth, I think Renavel's a really great place to live. You could always find some type of work, and there are plenty of places to live. In fact, Renavel is such a great place to live, that if someone pissed you off, you could easily just kill them, and no one would really care. One of the only things I hated in Renavel, is the prostitution.

So many whores littering the streets selling off their body for money. It wouldn't be so bad, except that I think there is a quota they have to meet every week or something. It's sick, every week, at least one of the tramps will ask me 'if I want a good time.' _I'm a girl, so…that's just wrong_. Usually when they start showing me their bosoms, I start showing them my blasters. That usually ends the conversations quickly.

But certainly one thing that I don't mind in Renavel are the pretzels.

"Beer sponges, get your nice juicy beer sponges." The Pretzel-man yelled out to the streets. I knew this guy certainly had a quota to meet, and I was sure to meet his quota every single week.

"Sir, how much for one of those beer sponges." I asked the pretzel-man in the ragged attire.

He turned around to look at me. "Kim, where've you been? I was beginning to think that I would actually have to find people to buy my pretzels."

I began taking out credits from the pouch on my belt. "You know me, I like to take my time." I handed him the credits, as he gave me a big salted pretzel. "Thanks Larry, hey make sure you stay out of the lower city, I hear it's getting nasty."

"Thanks, you stay safe too."

"Oh how sweet. It's like you actually care about me." I teased.

"Shut up."

"Hey don't be mean. There's plenty of other Pretzel-men I can go to for my pretzels you know."

"Oh don't be like that, I was only kidding. Besides, you're the only one that keeps me in business."

I laughed and started walking off, eating my pretzel. "Later Larry," It's funny there are only a handful of people in Renavel that I even consider talk worthy. And one of those individuals just happened to be 'Larry' the Pretzel-man. _How sad, and a little bit pathetic too. _

Walking down the street and past the hundreds of selling outlets I finally passed by Letterment statue. I stopped to look at it. The statue looked even larger than I remembered, an iron figure surrounded by a pool of water and wooden benches. Probably the only thing besides their bases and weapons, that they cared to put credits into.

Looking at the bench where I was to meet with Charkov and his gang, I noticed no one was there yet. Still meant that I had some time to waste, refueling my blaster and getting something to drink would easily fulfill that. And there is only one place that I feel comfortable having that done. 'Sunny San's,' a local day saloon and weaponry shop. Convenient for me, it just happened to be behind the statue itself.

I passed by the statue, and opened the sliding titanium door to the entrance of 'Sunny San's.' I walked through the entrance and heard the screeching of the door close behind me. Walking in I saw the usual customers, mostly aliens, one or two humans, no Mandalorians. The bartender was also the owner, and he had just about as bad as a distaste for Mandalorians as I did. So any shiny Mandalorian dumb enough to walk in here, usually got fried on the spot. By the gunsmith, bartender, and the gambling customers alike.

Turning to the left I saw that 'Lurks' the gunsmith was polishing one of his custom made weapons. Lurks is a Selkath, a sort of fish looking alien. Regular green body with a long bent neck, gills and goggle looking eyes. _Like I said, fish like_. Most Selkath speak a somewhat exotic language, that sounds like a mix between growling and gurgling. But Lurks spoke decent galactic basic, so I could easily understand him.

Lurk's a Selkath, and the only Selkath I've ever met in my life. I don't know much about his species, I just know that I can trust him, _at least with my blasters_. Besides my Aunt Naomi, I don't trust anyone, I never have, and I don't think I ever will. But Lurks did build my custom beauties that I've blasted the hell out of people with the last decade or so. Since he built them, I can trust him to reload them.

"Kim, haven't seen while. What I do for you?" He gurgled to me from behind the counter. _Like I said, he can speak galactic basic pretty decent…not perfect, but decent none the less._

"Hi Lurks, can you just refill my blasters and maybe polish them up?"

"For you, yes." I handed him my twin chrome blasters. "Beautiful as day I made." He said grabbing them from my hands and pulling them behind the counter. "Sit, be done in minute."

"How much I owe you?"

"For you, free."

I stepped away from Lurks, and let him get to work. I walked to the right and sat down at one of the open front bar stools. I waited for the bartender Oose-B to serve me. Turning around, he acknowledged me "Kim, the usual?" the Zabrak alien asked.

"Yeah," I told him, staring at the horns on top of his head, rather that his eyes. It was so strange how identical these creatures looked to humans, only difference was the horns, and veins popping from the face. Yet I stared at him enough, and the alien turned around and started making my drink.

"Another mission so soon?" the hooded figure, now sitting next to me spoke. He hadn't been there a second ago.

I twirled around in my seat to face the hooded figure and pulled out a dagger from my boot in defense.

"So cautious." The figure said in a calm tone.

He raised his head and I caught a glimpse of his eyes, "Dammit Jove-Quo, stop sneaking up on me like that." I tucked my dagger back into my left boot. I sighed and slowly shut my eyes in annoyance.

"Sneaking up? I wasn't even able to do that, by the time I got to my position you were shoving a dagger in my face." He took a pause and sipped some of his drink, that once again he hadn't had there a second ago.

"Wait, you didn't have that drink a…" I began to say.

"Oh, this kind fellow next to me didn't want his drink. So he kindly gave it to me…" he paused and looked at the man sitting next to him. "Isn't that right, you didn't want your drink."

"That's right, I didn't want my drink." He blindly said, standing up and walking off.

I shook my head in amusement. "You Jedi are far too reckless, do that to the wrong person and you'll get shot."

He took another sip of his drink, "And you're not? Work for the wrong people and you'll get shot."

"I can handle myself." I said, getting my drink from Oose-B.

"Hmm…so I've heard."

_That damn weird fool_, randomly, he would come up and talk to me. I usually didn't talk to him, but he had been talking to me for the last two years or so. He was kind of like that nerd in Galactic Basic School who would come up and give you advice or wisdom even when you didn't ask for it. "So what are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be slicing some Sith's head off with your lightsaber or something."

He chuckled in laughter, and pulled down his brown hood so that I could see his face. Ghostly yellow eyes, white aged face, absolutely no facial hair, or hair on his head what so ever. In fact his eyes were so odd, I thought that he might be blind. But he obviously wasn't, he usually was one step ahead of everyone else. "I won't be slicing anyone with my saber for a while."

"Ooh a while, what is that, a day-or-two for you?" I teased sipping my drink.

"Two. You're good."

"No, I just know how weird you are. Besides, I can actually decipher your 'Jedi lingo.' What are you doing now, going one-on-one with the Dark Lord? Ha!"

"Not exactly," he smiled. "But you're going to help me."

"Whoa, I don't work for free. I don't even know you that well." I protested, putting my drink down and staring at him now seriously.

"But you know credits well." He said.

"Well yeah, but why would a Jedi need me?" I asked.

"You can easily hack into the Mandalorian bases, I can't."

"No, I am not dealing with Mandalorians, not for a while. No way."

"Don't worry, you won't be dealing with Mandalorians." He said.

"Well then who…hobos and prostitutes?"

"No, the Sith." He said seriously.

I stood up from my seat and paid the bartender, beginning to walk off I said. "You're crazy, the Sith? Fuck that, in your dreams."

"It might be in your benefit." He said to my back as I grabbed my polished chrome blasters from Lurks.

"You couldn't pay me fifty thousand credits to deal with those scum. It's your war, not mine."

"Really?" he said, "How about one hundred fifty thousand credits?"

I stopped in my tracks and turned to him, "Wait a minute, did you say one hundred fifty thousand credits?"


End file.
